Bandits attack Niger communities, kill villagers

Uneasy calm reigned in Niger State on Tuesday when armed bandits, reportedly numbering over 100, raided at least three communities in the Munya Local Government Area.

During the assault, they killed numerous villagers and rustled over 200 cattle.

The communities targeted in this latest attack included Zagzaga, Chibani, and Kuchi.

An unspecified number of villagers, including women, were allegedly killed as the gunmen moved from one area to another with little or no resistance.

Homes were set ablaze, and food supplies were looted, while the gunmen, suspected to be armed bandits, operated between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM, as some villagers scrambled for safety.

According to sources, one of the bandits was reported dead in Kuchi, but the cause of his death remains unknown.

His body was abandoned by his colleagues and was still lying in the bush at the time of filing this report.

A camp belonging to the joint security task force was also set ablaze in Kuchi community by the marauding bandits.

Members of the task force reportedly fled the camp when they learned of the number of armed men involved in the attack.

Sources indicated that the bandits had gathered at Kusasu community in Shiroro Local Government Area, which borders Munya, prior to the raid.

A high-ranking government official was said to have been informed of their movements.

“We raised the alarm through a contact in Minna to help inform authorities of the bandits’ movement, but nothing was done. Villagers saw them gathering in Kusasu before the attack,” the source further revealed.

Further checks revealed that “They had been in the bush for over five hours before launching their assault. The people saw them, but there were too many, and they were riding motorcycles.”

Attempts to reach the Chairman of Munya Local Government Council, Hon. Aminu Najume, for confirmation of the attack were futile, as all his mobile lines were switched off.

However, the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Bello Abdullahi (rtd), acknowledged that there had been incidents of bandit attacks in the area, saying he had not yet received a detailed report regarding this specific attack.

Meanwhile, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Media, and Strategy, condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric, wicked, and inhumane.

He expressed regret that despite government efforts to address security challenges in the state, “these enemies of the people have continued to carry out relentless attacks on innocent villagers.”

Vatsa, however, assured that the government would not relent in its efforts until it had effectively addressed all forms of security challenges, emphasising that the activities of local informants have frustrated efforts to bring the situation under control and enable meaningful development.

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