Bandits on Tuesday killed 28, injured 40 and abducted several other persons in four communities in the Shiroro local government area of Niger state.
The bandits, who rode on unconfirmed number of motorcycles with holding guns, stormed the villages of Kurebe, Sabon-gida , Sarari and Rafin Kanya.
ASHENEWS gathered from Alhaji Ibrahim Kurebe that the bandits went to each of the villages, one after another shooting sporadically into houses and killing people.
According to him, they killed two in Kurebe, 28 in Sabon-gida and Sarari but none in Rafin Kanya.
“They went to villages one after the other and killing our people. They killed two people in Kurebe, 28 in two villages of Sabon-gida and Sarari. They wounded many others and abducted some too. I cannot tell you the number of people they have taken away for now but they have released some other people.
“I have to relocate my family because there is no sign of government in our area. It has been if government have weaned us from both dividends of democracy and protection.
“There is no communication between villages to alert each community of impending danger. This place has been taken over by bandits. Our lives have been in great danger and there is no help from either state or federal government,” Kurebe told ASHENEWS in telephone interview.
Another source, Musa Marafa expressed dismay over governments’ I-don’t-care attitude to the people they represent.
“Security operatives, especially at the high levels are selective and hypocritical when it comes to protecting lives and property of people. Look at what happened when Kankara schoolboys were abducted, the whole of the nation’s security architecture relocated to Katsina state because the president comes from there.
“They have shown the world that lives of the masses don’t matter. For the umpteenth time now, our people have been killed, kidnapped and some been made to relocate to IDP camps where they are not being taken care of,” he told ASHENEWS on phone.
The phone number of the council chairman of Shiroro local government, Suleiman Chikuba was switched off when ASHENEWS called.
Also, the phone number of the spokesperson of Niger Police Command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun was not reachable, as usual.
Although reports in Minna quoted Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane to have confirmed that between 20 and 22 people were killed, ASHENEWS reports that neither government officials nor security operatives were there to have confirmed the figures at the time he gave the figures.
