Bandits Displaced 600 In Seven Niger Communities – Govt

No fewer than 600 residents of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State have been displaced in a banditry attack in some communities shortly after the Sallah celebration.

Although no person was reported killed or kidnapped, several houses were burnt while cattle were said to have been rustled.

This was made known in a statement on Sunday by the state Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in which the director of media Habibu Wushishi, said four communities in the LGA were attacked.

 “We received yet another report of the shocking and painful incidences of banditry attacks in Lanta, Tunga, Dnakau and Juweedna communities of Erena in the Shiroro Local Council of the State.

“The communities were attacked Thursday, 20th June 2024, and many cattle and sheep were rustled while houses were burnt

“No case of kidnapping was reported, many houses in Lanta village were burnt down by the attackers while about 600 persons displaced from the villages are presently in Erena and Kuta IDP camps,” the humanitarian ministry said.

“The communities were attacked Thursday, 20th June 2024, and many cattle and sheep were rustled while houses were burnt

“No case of kidnapping was reported, many houses in Lanta village were burnt down by the attackers while about 600 persons displaced from the villages are presently in Erena and Kuta IDP camps,” the humanitarian ministry said.

Residents of several communities in the state have cried out against the persistent bandits attack in which people were killed and others kidnapped for ransom.

The residents who particularly bemoaned their helplessness said there had been no presence of security agents in the local government making it easy for the bandits to operate for hours without resistance.

Abdulmalik Abubakar, a tailor in the state capital, Minna, who spoke with The PUNCH, lamented that the people of his local government Shiroro had suffered at the hands of the bandits and the government did not seem to be doing anything to bring the reign of terror to an end.

“I am very sad. My people are dying every day at the hands of these terrorists. They come into the communities in their hundreds and terrorise the people. This latest attack took place just after the Sallah celebration.

“The people were just recovering from the hard economy witnessed during the Sallah before these bandits came and started ransacking their homes and taking away valuables. They burnt houses and rustled cattle. No security agent was seen during the incident that lasted for several hours,” Abubakar said.

Source: Punch