Bandits invade Niger community kidnap 6, 800 displaced

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna.

Again, armed bandits have invaded Kukoki community in the Rafi local government of Niger State making over 120 of the villagers to take refuge in Kagara town headquarters of the local government and disposed the community people of their animas.
It was reliably gathered that the bandits numbering over 200 stormed the community in broad daylight on Monday riding on motorcycles with two or three passengers on each bike and wielding sophisticated weapons.
According to an eyewitness, on arrival, the bandits started shooting sporadically into the area making the villagers to run helter skelter with some of them in the process sustaining serious injuries.
He said that, .In the stampede that bandits moved from “house to house” in the community to take the property of the villagers including foodstuff and wearing apparel. The invaders also rustled many cattle, goats and sheep.
Consequently, the villagers who escaped from the invasion, however, crossed a shallow river into safety from where they are now taking motorcycle rides to other neighbouring communities before arriving at Kagara.
A trending video of the exodus of the villagers showed that most of them left without any property while the women among them backed their little achildren.
The villagers now turned refugees have being camped at the Ahmadu Attaihiru Secondary School and the Lafene Primary School respectively.
The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Inga when contacted, confirmed the incident describing it “as unfortunate” saying also that the “ local government is handling the matter”.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muhammad Abubakar who confirmed the incident said “We have an incident like that in that area” The police are reviewing the security architecture of communities in the hinterland because it appears they are prone to this type of security breach”.
Abubakar added that the police are not aware of anyone being kidnapped but assured that the bandits would be arrested.