Niger soldiers killed three members of a Beninoi family on Friday in the Bavana district of Niger's Borg district.
Alhaji Suleiman Yarima, the chairman of his LGA, who confirmed the incident, called on the people of Bhavana to keep calm in the face of the murder of their family members, and assured the Nigerian military that the situation was being addressed.
He also assured the people that the law would do that.
When contacted, DSP Abiodun Wasiu, a police spokesman for the Niger Police Command, declined to comment, saying the matter was a military issue.
Regarding the incident, Audu Alkali, a resident of the area, said the three were killed as they returned from the market. “Soldiers killed three people, a man, his wife and a baby, on their way to trade at the Bavana market from Niganj, Benin.
"The man and the soldier got into an altercation when the soldier threatened him with a gun and accidentally opened fire, killing three people on the spot."
Yarima explained that a delegation had been sent to the people of Niganj in the Republic of Benin to comfort the families of those killed by soldiers, adding that an investigation into the reasons for the killings was underway.
He said: "I appeal to people to keep calm and not to take the law into their own hands but to let the appropriate authorities handle the matter. Meanwhile, a soldier who was Bhavana at the time was arrested and taken to Minna's military headquarters.
When contacted, PPRO Niger Police Command DSP Abiodun Wasiu said he was not in a position to comment on military matters.