NIGERIA: Suspected bandits have attacked communities in Kaduna and Niger states, killing one person, injuring another and abducting at least 47 residents in separate incidents that have heightened security concerns across the two states.
In Kaduna State, gunmen invaded Iburu Hanya community in Kajuru Local Government Area at about 9:30pm on Sunday, September 27, killing a young man identified as Paul Atte and injuring another, reports Daily Sun.
Two women and their children were also abducted during the attack but were later released by the gunmen, according to a source in the community.
The attack reportedly began when the gunmen invaded the community at night and opened fire on two young men.
While Atte was killed, the other victim survived with gunshot injuries.
His death has reportedly heightened grief in the community, particularly because his father, the late Atte Maikori, popularly known as Castro, was also killed in a separate kidnapping incident several years ago.
Residents said the latest attack had renewed fears over the safety of people living in Iburu Hanya and neighbouring communities, with calls for increased security presence in the area.
As of Monday morning, the Kaduna State Police Command and the state Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs had not issued an official statement on the attack.
47 abducted on Niger farm
In neighbouring Niger State, no fewer than 47 residents of Rimi village in Kasuwan Garba District of Mariga Local Government Area were reportedly abducted while harvesting groundnuts on a farm on Saturday morning.
The victims were predominantly women, although some men were also said to have been among those abducted.
A political aide to a senior government official from the area, who said he was not authorised to officially confirm the incident, told The Sun that the abduction had thrown the community into distress.
“This latest incident happened on Saturday morning when they were on their farm harvesting groundnuts. The entire community is devastated by this development,” he said.
Another source close to the community confirmed that women constituted the majority of the abductees.
According to the source, the gunmen had earlier been sighted moving through Mangoro and Wamba communities before the abduction and were believed to have emerged from the Dogon Dawa axis of the local government area.
The attackers were said to have subsequently moved with their captives into Bariki Forest, also known as Ma’undu, where the victims were believed to be held.
As of Monday, relatives of the abductees had reportedly not established direct contact with them or received any definite communication from their captors.
The source said the victims were believed to be inside Ma’undu Forest, which he described as a known hideout used by bandits in the area.
“Usually, when they abduct people, they will not contact their families until after maybe three or four days. That is how they operate,” he said.
He added that the information had been passed to security agencies.
Mariga Local Government Area has remained one of the areas severely affected by banditry and other criminal activities in Niger State.
The latest incidents have renewed concerns over the vulnerability of rural communities in both states, particularly farmers working in isolated areas.
