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Bandits ravage Niger communities, kill 68 people, abduct others

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Residents of Kaduna communities pay bandits, militia N3m to harvest farm produce - Group

The Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, on Wednesday, confirmed the killing of not less than 68 persons and the abduction of scores of others following the invasion of several communities in the state by bandits between Sunday and Monday.

According to a statement by Matane made available to journalists, most of those killed were said to be members of the local vigilante groups in the Tungan Magajiya, Rijau local government area and Paikpa village in Munya local government area of the state in two separate attacks within the two days.

“We can confirm that some members of our local vigilante groups were killed by bandits at village Sakaba which is a border village between Niger and Kebbi states on Sunday night at about 9:00pm in an ambush.

“On Monday, the bandits moved into Tungan Magajia and Rijau in Niger State where they killed scores of other vigilante members. The vigilante members were on a joint patrol along the area due to the incessant gunmen attacks on communities from the two states.

Read also: Police repels bandits’ attack in Katsina, recover six motorcycles

“In Rijau, the vigilantes who were on the trail of the gunmen said to be over 100, were also ambushed and killed by the bandits after they had been alerted by an informant that they were being trailed by the vigilantes.

“We reliably gathered that those vigilantes who guns could not penetrate were hacked down with machetes and other dangerous weapons.

“12 of the victims were from Rijau while the remaining 48 are from Sakaba and Tungan Magajiya,” Matane said.

The SSG also said that an unspecified number of cattle were stolen from the people by the rampaging gunmen in the different communities they invaded.

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