25 farmers killed, dozens abducted as bandits invade Niger communities

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the killing of 25 farmers and the abduction of scores of others by bandits who invaded several communities in the state on Friday.

According to the State police spokesman, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, the bandits attacked several communities in the Rafi local government area of the state where they killed the farmers and abducted several women and girls.

A community leader in one of the affected areas, Mallam Nasir Buhari, who also confirmed the incident to journalists, said the attack reportedly took place in five villages.

“It’s true that bandits have resumed attacks with full force. We have not had it easy in the last two weeks but the situation had worsened since Wednesday.

“As I speak to you, bandits have taken over most parts of Rafi LGA. They have been in Kusherki community since around 2 pm on Friday.

“They spent the night in Garin-Zara community and rustled hundreds of cattle, goats and rams and killed an unspecified number of people,” Buhari said.

Read also: Bandits sustain attacks on Shiroro LG of Niger State

He gave a breakdown of the casualties to include 13 people killed in Kusherki community, 12 killed in Gidigori village, while several others were yet to be accounted for.

“Hundreds of our people have become displaced persons, including women and children from various villages who trooped to Kagara, the Headquarters of Rafi LGA, abandoning their villages for the bandits,” he said.

The Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, who also spoke to journalists, decried that the bandits had resumed attacks on Rafi, Paikoro, Munya and Shiroro local governments that form part of his constituency.

“The criminals are out to test the power and capacity of the new administrations at both federal and state levels.

“But I believe President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Governor Mohammed Umar Bago-led governments would deal with the situation,” the lawmaker said.

In a brief statement, DSP Abiodun said security operatives had been deployed to the area to arrest the situation.

“We have reviewed tactical deployments in the area, and more deployments of PMF (Police Mobile Force) have been made, in collaboration with the military to cover Yakila, Tegina, Kagara, Pandogari, Kusherki and its environs to forestall reoccurrence.”

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