Terrorists on Thursday attacked the Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, killing nine people, while abducting several others, including 26 women. Those killed include Sani Gambo, Abubakar Jibrin, Abubakar Musa, Isiya Yahaya, Suleman Abubakar, Ibrahim Kazai, Jafar Abdulkarim, Mubarak Isah, and Achiawaza Yahaya.
Some of the residents dived into the Shiroro River, leaving rescuers with the task of searching their dead bodies.
As mourning for the dead is ongoing, the terrorists have released a video featuring two of the captives, pleading for their release. The women, in the 30-second clip, are seen urging their families to provide the 130 motorcycles demanded by the kidnappers for their freedom.
One of the women, tied to a tree, speaks in Hausa, desperately appealing to a relative named Abdulrahman to fulfill the kidnappers’ demands.
“Umar, please talk to Abdulrahman. They have brought me to a service area now. They said they could not release me until the items they demanded are delivered. They said I should talk so that you will hear my voice. I have injuries on my legs. For the sake of Allah and His Prophet, help bring the items. They said if you bring the items, they will release me along with Hajiya. I am here with Hajiya,” she pleads.
ALSO READ Terrorists kill 7 Imo community leaders
A resident, Abba Usman, confirmed that the women in the video are among those kidnapped in February this year. He shared that the families of these two women had already provided six motorcycles, but the terrorists are now demanding four more before they release the captives.
Usman also mentioned that the families of the remaining 24 women have informed the bandits that they cannot afford the additional motorcycles. The kidnappers are demanding five motorcycles for each of the 26 women, with each motorcycle valued at N2 million.
“My mother and my sister were among those kidnapped seven months ago on Allawa-Pandogari Road. On that day, eight men were killed before the women were taken away. The bandits have asked us to provide five motorcycles for each of the 26 women. We couldn’t raise the money, which is why they are still in captivity,” Usman explained.
“Recently, they sent a video showing two of the women. The families of these two women provided six motorcycles, but the bandits have now demanded four more. They sent the video to confirm that the women are still alive and will be released once the additional motorcycles are provided. For now, we don’t even have anything left to sell to raise money for these motorcycles.”
Meanwhile, the Gbagyi socio-cultural group, Gbenu Boknu Yakwo, has called on Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to sack the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi (RTD), citing his alleged failure to address the worsening security situation in Allawa and other communities in Shiroro Local Government Area.
In a statement, Bako Wakili Bosso, President of the Gbenu Boknu Yakwo Association, criticised the commissioner for denying reports that bandits and terrorists have taken over Allawa. “We, the Gbenu Boknu Yakwo Association, are deeply disappointed in Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi (RTD) for his recent false claims that our people in Allawa and surrounding communities, who have been terrorised by bandits and kidnappers, have resumed their normal farming activities,” the statement read.
“The commissioner’s assertion during a BBC Hausa service interview—that normalcy has returned to Allawa in Shiroro LGA—mockingly disregards the suffering of residents who have been displaced from their ancestral lands due to banditry and terrorism.”
The statement further criticised the commissioner for failing to explain why soldiers, who were withdrawn from Allawa in April 2024, have not been redeployed, despite five months passing since the exodus of residents. “We condemn the commissioner’s attempts to manipulate public perception and trivialise the plight of those displaced and traumatised by banditry and insurgency. His actions demonstrate gross inefficiency and incompetence in addressing the security challenges in Allawa and neighbouring villages.”
The group called on Governor Bago to urgently remove the commissioner, warning that continued inaction could exacerbate frustration and anger among the farming communities.
They also urged both the state and federal governments to take decisive action to eliminate the terrorists and allow displaced residents to return to their homes and resume their farming activities.
