Niger Government Imposes Curfew on LGA over Attack by Gunmen

Laleye Dipo in Minna

A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed on Gbako Local Government Area of Niger State following the invasion of Lemu town the headquarters of the local government by armed gang last Tuesday.

The curfew would be in place indefinitely.

The Chairman of the local government, Mr. John Taman, who announced the imposition of the curfew, also directed the vigilante of the local government to go after members of the gang and ensure their arrest.
A statement from the chairman’s office described the invasion by the criminals as “unacceptable” and that everything should be done to apprehend them.

It was learnt that in the early hours of Wednesday, the gang numbering about 10, in two Hilux pick up vans, stormed Lemu town firing sporadically into the air to scare away members of the community.
In the stampede that followed, it was gathered that the gang members invaded the Divisional Police Station in the town and sacked it.

Some suspected criminals detained in the station were freed and taken away by the gang.
THISDAY learnt that the armed men could have tampered with the police armoury which resulted in the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dibal Yakadi Paul, rushing to the troubled community to assess the situation.
Addressing the community, Paul assured them that everything would be done to arrest the gunmen who he believed, were still hiding in the bushes in the local government.

He did not however say if the armoury was tampered with or not.
Meanwhile reinforcement of policemen to the local government headquarters and surrounding towns had restored peace to the area.