Bandits Kidnap 12 Farmers , Demands Farm Produce, Cattle As Ransom

Bandits operating in the Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State have resorted to demanding farm produce and cows from communities to stop being attacked by the Gunmen.

Each household in four communities in the local government are to give five bags of any of their harvests in addition to five big cows.

This latest development is coming on the heels of an attack on a community in Lapai local government area of the State where 12 villagers were abducted.

It was learnt that the bandits sent the demand notices to villagers in Gulbinboka, Dusai, Ben’s and Bangi last week after the village head of Muhoro Alhaji Usman Abara and 14 of his subjects were killed when they refused to pay a N50 million ransom to the bandits to stop their being attacked.

The village head was said to have been killed when he refused to direct his subjects to contribute the N50 million ransom.

After he was murdered the bandits reportedly sacked the village, killing 14 people and abducting several others.

The demand of the bandits has already created fears in the villagers making them to start moving out of their villages in droves.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Monday Bala Kuryas, who was contacted on the demand of the bandits said the command was yet to receive such report, but was quick to add that the command “will not leave any stone unturned to fortify every part of the state” adding that men of the police tactical squad will be dispatched to the said communities.

Leadership News

In the same vein daily trust reported that Bandits kidnap 12 Farmers in Niger.

Bandits on Sunday night abducted 12 farmers at the Unguwan-Yusuf in Evuti/Kpada ward of Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.

Some of the victims who escaped said the bandits had over 10 camps in a forest bordering the Federal Capital Territory.

“We have been attacked almost every day. The residents of all communities that border Niger State and Federal Capital Territory now live in fear,” a resident spoke in anonymity.

In the last three weeks, several farming communities in Lapai have come under attack by bandits, forcing the residents to flee their homes to safer places.

Daily Trust also gathered that bandits attacked the Ajiji community on Friday and abducted seven residents.

One of the residents, Yahaya Garba, said the attack on Ajiji came two days after bandits attacked Unguwan Gwari and kidnapped some women.

Garba said the villages attacked in the last three weeks included Duma, Fapo, Ebbo, Zago and Lafiya-Zago where no fewer than four children between the ages of 1 and 5 as well as two other people including a vigilante were shot dead and dozens kidnapped.

One of the vigilantes in the area told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that the last three weeks had been tough for security operatives in the area, saying that bandits had sustained attacks on communities.

“We are not at peace as I speak with you. We need the government’s intervention, most especially to allow people to harvest their farm produce. It is the harvesting period. Please, something should be done quickly, because right now we have over 100 people with bandits,” he said.

Efforts to reach the Niger State Police Command for a reaction was not successful as the PPRO’s number wasn’t going through up till the time of filing this report.