Breaking: Terrorists Kill 19, Including Soldiers, Abduct 4 Chinese in Niger

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

Terrorists on Wednesday attacked Ajata village, a mining community in Erena district of Shiroro local government area of Niger state.

Reports said no fewer than 22 persons, including soldiers, were gruesomely murdered by the terrorists who invaded the mining site believed to belong to some influential Nigerians but managed by some Chinese, in broad daylight.

It was learnt that during the invasion of the site, four Chinese were abducted in addition to a number of other people believed to be workers at the mining site.

The large number of terrorists, according to a report from the area, stormed the village riding on motorcycles and armed AK – 47 rifles.

” They shot sporadically killing and causing confusion in the village,” one of the multiple sources said before the bandits  ransacked houses after which they made away with valuable items and kidnapped a number of people.

One source claimed that 19 people including some villagers, mobile policemen and soldiers deployed to restore peace in the area lost their lives.

Co-conveners of the Concerned Shiroro Youths, an umbrella body monitoring security situation in the local government area and its environs Comrade Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki confirmed this to THISDAY on Thursday morning . He described the incident as ugly and a serious disaster.

They said: Amidst this ravaging insecurity, one can hardly  fathom the rationale behind granting operational license to expatriates to carry out mining activities in highly risky and volatile areas. This crass negligence and lackadaisical posture by Government has the potentiality of inviting chaos and instability to the affected areas and it will undoubtedly endanger the lives of residents from the vicinity. This is the height of insensitivity and irresponsibility on the part of government”.

The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs Mr Emmanuel Umar when contacted this morning (Thursday) confirmed the story saying,” This Is one of the saddest nights for me. No one can say the  exact number of people killed. I have released a press statement on this very soon it will get to you”.

Umar later in an SMS to THISDAY confirmed that “4 expatriates” were kidnapped.

Details later.