Bandits Kill Five Persons, 500 Others Displaced in Niger

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Fresh bandits’ attacks yesterday claimed five lives in Shiroro and Rafi Local Government Areas (LGA) of Niger State

This is coming barely four days after four policemen were killed in a shootout with bandits in Shiroro LGA.

The latest incident of bandit’s attack occurred in Kundu Village in Rafi LGA and Gurmana in the Shiroro LGA.

Senator representing the LGAs in the National Assembly, Mr. Mohammed Sani Musa, confirmed the incident in a statement issued by his Senior Legislative Aide, Mr. Sagir Musa, and described the attacks as “ one too many in recent times.”

Similarly, the Councillor Representing Kikoki Ward of Shiroro LGA, Mr. Mohammed Jafaru, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, even though the police have not made any comment on the incident apart from declaring two of its men missing in the shootout with bandits last week.

Jafaru said that not less than 100 houses were burnt while several properties were stolen.

Musa accused the government of not doing enough to arrest the attacks on the people in the two local government areas which has consequently dislocated their economic and social lives.

The federal lawmaker declared that his people are ready to take up arms to defend themselves if the federal government would not take necessary steps to stem the tide of banditry attacks in the country.

“My heart is pained seeing the bloodletting in my constituency. Women are raped and killed. Men are maimed and children rendered fatherless. This development is really sad, especially that it has remained a recurring decimal.

“We have made several appeals to the federal government, we paid courtesy visit to His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari on our predicament. But, still there is no end to these marauders carnage as they keep killing and maiming our people,” Musa said, adding that “youths in my constituency have decided henceforth to defend themselves in view of the failure of the federal government to address the lingering challenge. We have tried to calm them down all this while, assuring them of federal government’s intervention. Now they have lost hope, and are deciding to defend themselves in any way they can, as they lost hope that the federal government will do any justice to their plight.”

Musa advised the federal government to establish military bases in strategic locations in the two local government areas to enable soldiers to contain the attacks by these bandits.

“Mr President must come to the aid of the people. Their lives and livelihood are hanging in the balance, with economic activities completely stalled. Farmlands have been destroyed and many abandoned by their owners who have fled their homes in fear of the unknown. These people are predominantly farmers and that’s what they know how to do government must take action now,” he said in the statement.