Armed bandits have reportedly attacked five communities in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, killing twenty five farmers.
Also, during the attacks that were carried out from Wednesday around 2.00pm, scores of residents, including women were reportedly abducted.
It was gathered that 13 people lost their lives in Kusherki community, 12 others were killed in Gidigori village and several others were yet to be found.
A community leader in one of the villages, Mallam Nasir Buhari, confirmed the attacks to newsmen, saying: “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.”
Also the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani Musa, has said that the bandits are invading Rafi, Paikoro, Munya and Shiroro Local Government Areas that form part of his constituency.
The lawmaker, who said the criminals are testing the power and capacity of the new administrations at both federal and state levels, however, expressed hope that President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Governor Mohammed Umar Bago-led governments would deal decisively with the situation.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command’s spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, said security operatives had been deployed to the area to arrest the situation.
He said: “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.”
