Sources familiar with the incident said that two NSCDC personnel on duty at the time took cover as the attackers unleashed sustained gunfire on the patrol vehicle and the mini office at the location, riddling both with bullets.
Gunmen on Tuesday attacked a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) nipping point at Ibrahim Leteh village along the Wawa–Luma Road in Niger State, carting away a service rifle.
Security sources said that the attack occurred at about 4:30 a.m., when a large number of armed terrorists stormed the isolated outpost and opened fire on the security officers, according to a counterinsurgency analyst and counterterrorism expert, Zagazola Makama.
Sources familiar with the incident said that two NSCDC personnel on duty at the time took cover as the attackers unleashed sustained gunfire on the patrol vehicle and the mini office at the location, riddling both with bullets.
During the attack, the bandits reportedly carted away one G3 rifle officially assigned to an NSCDC operative.
However, no casualty was recorded in the incident, according to the sources.
Following the attack, security operatives visited the scene, where photographs were taken for investigation and documentation.
Efforts are reportedly ongoing to recover the stolen rifle and track down the attackers, while security presence in the area has been reinforced.
The latest incident adds to a growing pattern of attacks on security posts, checkpoints, and patrol teams across Niger State and other parts of the North-Central and North-West regions, where armed groups have increasingly targeted security formations to seize weapons and weaken state presence.
In recent months, several security checkpoints along major highways in northern Nigeria, including routes linking Wawa, Rafi, and parts of Shiroro Local Government Area in Nigeria state, have come under repeated attacks by bandits.
These assaults are often carried out in the early hours of the morning, when personnel strength is low and visibility is poor.
Similarly, security posts manned by the police, NSCDC, and local vigilante groups have been attacked in parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, and Katsina states, with assailants frequently making away with rifles and ammunition.
In Niger State, communities along forest corridors linking the state to Zamfara and Kaduna have remained particularly vulnerable, with bandits exploiting the terrain to launch swift attacks and retreat before reinforcements arrive.
Security authorities have repeatedly warned that the loss of weapons during such attacks poses a serious threat, as stolen firearms are often used in subsequent attacks on civilians, travellers, and security operatives.
Residents of the Wawa–Luma axis have expressed concern over the frequency of attacks in the area, calling for stronger security deployments and improved intelligence to prevent further assaults on security formations.