3 Killed, Many Kidnapped as Bandits Raid Niger Community

Laleye Dipo in Minna

No fewer than three villagers, including an unnamed Pastor of Evangelical Church of West Africa ECWA  at Majure village, 10 kilometers to Sarkinpawa in the Munya local Government of Niger state, have been killed by unknown gunmen.

THISDAY learnt that two other members of the Church were also among those killed in the incident that took place on Monday evening.

It was learnt that those killed were on their  farms near the church  when they were attacked by the assailants.

According to an eyewitness, a Pastor of another church, his wife and child are still missing, raising suspicion that they could have been among those kidnapped.

One of the remains of the two slain ECWA members  according to the eyewitness  was interred late Monday evening while the other is about now being buried.

State CAN Secretary, Pastor Raphael Opawoye  confirmed the death of the two church members to ThISDAY on Tuesday morning.

The gunmen according to reports numbering over 50 and riding on motorcycles stormed the Majure and adjoining communities shooting sporadically resulting in the stampede and death of the villagers.

The gunmen were said to have kidnapped not less than 20 villagers, mostly women and children, and took them to an unknown destination.

ThISDAY was told that a bus conveying no less than 10 passengers was also waylaid and its driver and passengers kidnapped. The vehicle was said to have been used to convey the victims.

The attack by the gunmen, according to reports, was not countered by the local security around the area because they had no fuel to power their operational vehicles to go after the attackers.

Sources told ThISDAY that a few days back, the head of the vigilantes had approached the management of Munya local government for money to purchase fuel, a request  the council did not honour for lack of funds.

 All efforts to get confirmation of the incident from the Local Government Council Chairman  Alhaji Aminu Najume, was abortive as his cell phone was not connecting.

The Police in the state are also yet to speak on the attack.