The Nigerian Army on Friday confirmed that three soldiers were killed in an attack by gunmen in Daura, Katsina State.

Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, who disclosed this to newsmen in Kaduna, said several of the attackers were also killed.

He said that the army and other security personnel had cordoned off three areas in the city and were conducting a house-to-house search “to fish out some of the wounded gunmen who forced their way into peoples’ homes”.

He also said that the army was coordinating with security agencies in Niger Republic as “80 to 90 per cent of these gun men are not Nigerians”.

Wahab said the gunmen had attacked four banks and stole some money, adding that a vehicle loaded with the stolen cash was recovered, in addition to four AK-47 rifles.

He said that the operation to fish out the culprits was ongoing, and advised residents of Daura and the neighbouring local government areas of Baure, Sandamu, Mashi, and Dutsi to cooperate with security agents by reporting suspicious movements around them.

“What happened this morning is similar to what happened in Bama where the gunmen burnt prison and police stations to divert attention,” he said.

Wahab appealed to journalists to support security agencies in the fight against terror, saying it was the collective responsibility of all well-meaning Nigerians to work for the peace and stability of the nation.

“Let us stop patronising criminality. Whether they are terrorists or armed bandits, the truth is that they are against the Nigerian state, and that is the bottom line,” he added. (NAN)