By Correspondent in Minna
Bandits have continued their ferocious attacks on innocent people in Niger state, as they again struck at Avu community in Gupa-abugi Ward, Bassa community in Lapai and Shiroro local government Areas of the state on Thursday respectively.
The correspondent of The Reporters gathered that after the attack, one person was killed while many others sustained various degrees while no fewer than 56 others have been declared missing, according to a reliable source from the affected Local Government areas told our correspondent in Minna.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anony further disclosed that the gunmen,in their numbers, attacked Avu community early on Thursday morning during which one person was killed and six others kidnapped amid sporadically shooting to scare away people before abducting their victims.
The online media outfit also gathered that in Bassa community, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, another set of bandits, numbering about 40,abducted over 50 people when they stormed the villages in their large numbers in motorcycles early Thursday morning as well.
Eye witness account said the people were distracted by sporadic gunshots even before they got out from bed to get set for the day’s chores by the bandits, frightening development which caused many of them to scamper for safety into the nearby bushes.
Narrating his encounter, a member of the community, Idris Musa Avu said, ‘The gun men arrived the village around 1:00 a.m in large numbers and upon seeing them, people started scampering for safety as they were shooting sporadically. We saw one dead body and six of our people kidnapped.’
Musa added that the vigilantes, upon seeing the situation, tried their best but could not get police back up as at the time of the attack, hence they were overpowered by the bandits who according to him, are far more equipped with sophisticated weapons.
Also, the Co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths, Comrade Sani Abubakar Kokki, who confirmed the attack in his community described the gun men as ‘terrorists’, adding that the constant attacks on soft targets “is very wicked.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State Command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun could not confirm the attacks while efforts by our correspondent to his reaction to the attacks proved abortive.
Though he promised to get back to our correspondent but failed to do so as at the time of filing this report.
