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,,,,Police put death at 6.
By Correspondent in Minna.
Suspected terrorists have launched a fresh and devastating assault on communities in Niger State, killing no fewer than 26 people and destroying properties worth millions of naira, including a police station and several homes.
According to sources in the area, the attackers struck first at Feyi village in Borgu Kingdom, setting houses ablaze before advancing to Tunga-Makeri and Nkpaso villages, where they continued their rampage.
The assailants were said to have stormed the communities in large numbers, riding motorcycles in pairs and threes and armed with sophisticated weapons. Eyewitnesses said they fired sporadically to scare residents and prevent resistance as panic spread across the affected settlements.
The coordinated operation reportedly began late Friday night and continued into Saturday morning. At Feyi village, six persons were killed, while properties were looted without resistance from security forces.
From Feyi, the gunmen moved to Tunga-Makeri and Nkpaso villages in Konkoso Ward of Borgu Local Government Area, where about 20 more people were reportedly killed in the early hours of Saturday.
In what residents described as a brazen escalation, the attackers later headed to a police station in Pissa, setting the facility ablaze. They reportedly fled upon hearing the sound of an approaching helicopter.
Several adjoining communities have since been deserted, with residents fleeing into nearby bushes and neighbouring towns for safety.
The displaced villagers are appealing to the Niger State and Federal Governments for urgent intervention to prevent further bloodshed.
Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said although the exact casualty figure remains uncertain, at least 26 bodies were counted by fleeing residents.
“Nobody knows the exact number of those killed or abducted at the moment. The attackers kept moving from one location to another, and the killings continued,” a source said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the attack but put the official death toll at six.
“The command, as at 6 a.m., received a report indicating that at about 3 a.m., suspected armed bandits invaded Tunga-Makeri village via Shafachi District, Borgu LGA. During the attack, six persons lost their lives, some houses were set ablaze, and a yet-to-be-ascertained number of persons were abducted,” he stated.
Abiodun added that the attackers were also reported to have moved to Konkoso village, noting that details were still sketchy. He, however, assured that joint security teams had been mobilised to the affected communities for
assessment and rescue operations.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
