At least four persons have been confirmed dead after bandits attacked the Fapo village, in the Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that the bandits, who shot sporadically during the attack on Sunday, injured eight persons and kidnapped 15 others.
Speaking with reporters an eyewitness, Danlami Idris, said the attack lasted for hours, adding that the residents in the community were thrown into a panic.
‘We have never experienced such an attack before; the attack is horrible considering the number of deaths recorded as well as injuries,’ Idris said.
Idris urged the government and security agencies to rise up to their responsibility in securing lives and property to avoid future devastating attacks in the community.
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In a related development, bandits who are terrorising the Kurgi Gabas community in the western part of Birnin-Gwari area in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have killed a motorcyclist and abducted scores of travellers along the Birnin-Gwari, Funtua Road.
The terrorists were said to have blocked the Birnin-Gwari, Funtua Road, trapping no fewer than 30 vehicles and looting occupants’ loads.
The drivers or owners were reportedly forced to pay between N300, 000 and N1m to the terrorists before they could retrieve their vehicles.
The Chairman of the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union, Ishaq Kasai, disclosed this in a statement released in Kaduna on Sunday.
He said, ‘On Thursday, September 15, 2022, bandits kidnapped three locals at farms in Kurgin Gabas community in the Western part of Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“The bandits also invaded the same community on Friday snatched a motorcycle and killed the owner (Bala Balansi) before going back to the forest.
‘Kurgin Gabas is sharing a border with Kamuku Forest Reserve which has become the main hideout of armed bandits from which the bandits usually come out to carry out attacks in communities in the Western part of Birnin-Gwari and the neighbouring Rafi LGA of Niger State.
‘BEPU acknowledges that the security level at Birnin-Gwari to Kaduna Highway has improved following the earlier visit by GOC of 1 Div Kaduna and subsequent mobilisation of troops as well as occasional aerial surveillance along the road by security agencies.
‘However, BEPU is deeply concerned that Birnin-Gwari/Funtua highway remains blocked by armed bandits whereby about 30 vehicles including big trucks are trapped and are yet to be retrieved by owners; and many of the travellers abducted during the attack on September 1, 2022 are yet to be released.
‘Another disturbing scenario is that the bandits have carted away all the loads/goods contained in the trapped vehicles and people were forced by the bandits to pay huge amounts of money ranging from N300,000 to N1,000,000 to retrieve their trapped vehicles. The charge disparity depends on the size and nature of the vehicles.’
The union appealed for the mobilisation of troops to ensure the opening of the Birnin-Gwari-Funtua road and for retrieving the trapped vehicles unconditionally.