The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has confirmed the arrest of five suspects in a failed attack by suspected Islamic State-allied jihadists on a military base in the Wawa, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The military killed eight of the attackers after repelling a raid on the military base, where hundreds of militants are being held.

Military sources say dozens of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters tried to break into the military cantonment to free more than 1,000 of their comrades detained there.

However, Irabor told journalists at a news conference in Abuja that the alertness of the troops led to the prevention of the attack.