Bandits have killed one person and abducted ten others during an attack on seven villages in the Gurmana community in the Shiroro council area of Niger State.
The affected villages are Karibo, Shekadna, Kokki, Sarkin Zama, Bakin Kogi (Lagbe), Maganda and other adjoining villages all under Gurmana District.
According to Daily Trust, the District Head of Sarkin Zama and several others sustained gunshot injuries and are currently on admission at various health facilities in Kuta, the Shiroro local government’s headquarters.
The bandits had gone on a rampage in the communities, burning down houses and barns where yams and grains were stored.
Sources also said that the bandits invaded the communities in large numbers on motorcycles, shooting sporadically.
Some of the residents of Shiroro local government said the bandits had developed a new operation model which includes barricading roads and laying ambush for road users who occasionally go to their homes to fetch some foodstuffs for their upkeep.
Recently, they embarked on setting houses on fire.
The bandits’ activities have heightened due to the non-presence of security personnel in the local government area.
The Shiroro Youths Association co-convener, Yusuf Abubakar Kokki, confirmed the incident and called for “urgent and concerted” efforts by the government and individuals to address the insecurity in the council.
