Bandits Kill 37, Burn Down Communities In Niger State

No fewer than 37 persons have been confirmed dead in a series of reprisal attacks by armed bandits on two communities in Niger State. 

According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen launched the attack on Nakuna and Wurukuchi communities when the villagers were on their farm.

Entire houses in Nakuna community with a population of about 200 were also reportedly burnt down by the gunmen who invaded the community in search of local vigilantes, reports The Punch. 

A resident of one of the affected communities, Yahya Mota, told newsmen that he lost 10 members of his family during the attack adding that about 20 other bodies were discovered in the bush. 

“After the attack on Nakuna community, we discovered that 10 people from one family were killed and we later found the bodies of 20 other people in the bush.

“Also in Wurukuchi, four members of one family were killed on their farm,” he said.

The 75-year old senior citizen revealed that other than the houses that were burnt, the gunmen also burnt down food barns in the communities before leaving.

“This people didn’t only kill our people and burn down our houses, they burnt down all the food barns in before leaving,” he said.

He added that during the search for members of the vigilance group and local hunters, the gunmen abducted three of the special hunters.

Mota said six children and four others who came to assist them to harvest their farm produce were killed in a terrible manner adding that their hands were ties to their backs before they were shot.

This incident follows an offensive launched by hunters and members of a vigilante group about two weeks ago, which resulted in the death of a number of bandits.

THE WHISTLER had earlier reported how bandits killed two security personnel and kidnapped two Chinese workers at the Zungeru Hydro Power Dam. 

As at press time, the abducted persons are yet to be released, although the state police command said investigations are still ongoing and arrests would be made soon.