Gunmen Kill 9 In Niger

By Pita Chib, Minna  

 

Yet to be identified gunmen Sunday  reportedly killed 9 people and kidnapped 15 women and girls in Badna, Maifa, Tunga villages and surrounding communities in Kurebe and Kwaki wards of Shiroro local government area of Niger state.

The attack which occurred  Sunday  also injured several persons with 11 persons said to be in critical condition.

Theledgerng.com reports that most of the kidnapped victims were women and girls who were subjected to various inhuman treatment including rape.

The Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District in the Senate, Senator David Umaru, in whose constituency the attack occurred confirmed the incident to journalists in a press statement issued in Minna Monday.

 Senator Umaru said, “I am particularly saddened and shocked at the cruel massacre of 9 people in my constituency, the kidnapping of 15 innocent people mostly women and girls in an attack in which several others were raped, injured and hospitalized with 11 in critical condition”.

 Umaru described the armed attack as most callous and brutal adding that the incident is just one amongst several other brazen attacks that have been carried out in the area in recent times.

 According to the legislator, “about four days ago, several attacks were carried out in one of which a woman and her daughter were kidnapped and a Royal Prince abducted at Kwararamai. Also, in a related incident, 3 persons were killed whilst 3 were abducted in Malfa. Villages like Kwararamai, Jankuta and Marraraban Bataro where 17 persons were abducted in one night have all suffered the same fate”

He acknowledging the past efforts of security agencies especially the police and military in curbing cases of cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities in Niger East Senatorial District, but  however expressed unhappiness  with the recent upsurge in the activities of the hoodlums in this part of the state.

He nonetheless stressed the need for security agencies to give priority attention to securing lives and properties of these villagers in order to build on the peace that have prevailed in the area before the gangsters resurfaced recently.

“I therefore humbly call on the Niger state Commissioner of Police and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1st Div. Kaduna to deploy sufficient personnel to the hot spots particularly in surrounding villages in kurebe/Kushaka, and kwaki/chukuba, wards of Shiroro local government area of Niger state. Attention should, nonetheless, also be given to areas under serious threats in Munya and Rafi LGAs”, he noted

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Mohammed Abubakar, confirmed an incident of armed attack in the area in which Faruk Musa and Daniel Ngala from Gida village were kidnapped, adding that police and vigilante including local hunters were mobilised to rescue the victims, adding that Faruk Musa was rescued and  one vigilante killed in the incident