In a brutal attack on Friday night, armed bandits stormed Kuchi village in the Munya local government area of Niger State, leaving seven dead and abducting around 200 villagers. The incident occurred at about 7 PM during a heavy downpour, making the situation even more chaotic.
Eyewitnesses reported that the bandits, numbering over 300, arrived on 100 motorcycles, each carrying three men. They quickly overpowered the Joint Security Taskforce, which included both police officers and local vigilantes. The bandits conducted their operation without facing any significant resistance for over three hours, moving from house to house and taking their time to select their victims, primarily women. They also looted shops, taking away goods.
Among the seven dead were four members of the Joint Security Taskforce and three villagers who attempted to escape into the nearby bush. The bandits’ sheer numbers and firepower overwhelmed the security forces, leaving the community defenseless.
The Chairman of Munya LG, Mal Aminu Najume, confirmed the incident. He stated, “These gunmen, numbering over 300, moved from house to house and dispossessed our people of their belongings. They abducted about 150 villagers, including women, and took them away in the rain.”
Najume also revealed that the attack lasted over three hours with no reinforcements arriving to aid the besieged village. “For over three hours, they operated with no reinforcement from anywhere. They outnumbered the Joint Security Taskforce and succeeded in killing four of them, including some villagers,” he said.
The chairman attributed the frequent attacks on communities in the area to the failure of the Kaduna State government to take adequate measures against banditry, unlike the Niger State government. He pointed out that the bandits often come from Kaduna State to carry out their operations in Niger State and then retreat back.
“These bandits most often come from Kaduna State to operate in Niger State and return back. They move in their hundreds, and yet the security agents don’t see them. Even when the villagers alert them, no action is taken,” Najume explained.
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This latest attack is part of a series of violent incidents plaguing the region. Just two weeks ago, bandits kidnapped about thirty people from two commercial vehicles along Mangoro village, near the local headquarters of Sarkin Pawa. The abductees from that incident are still being held by their captors.
The community is in mourning and fear, as the persistent insecurity shows no sign of abating. Residents are calling for more effective security measures to protect them from these relentless attacks.
As Chief Tinubu marks his one-year anniversary in office, the security challenges in parts of Nigeria, such as Niger State, underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to combat banditry and ensure the safety of all citizens.
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