Bandits abduct 24, mutilate blind man in fresh attacks on Niger communities

Bandits abduct 24, mutilate blind man in fresh attacks on Niger communities

Fresh violence has erupted in Niger State as bandits launched coordinated assaults across farming communities in Erena Local Government Area, abducting 24 residents — including a pregnant woman — and mutilating a blind man in separate but linked attacks.

The first incident occurred on Wednesday in Palaita community, where armed men invaded a farmland while labourers were harvesting crops. Witnesses said the attackers rounded up 24 workers, among them a heavily pregnant woman, and forced them into the surrounding bush.

In a separate attack within the same LGA, bandits reportedly targeted another settlement and cut off the arm of a blind resident after he allegedly failed to comply with their demands.

The renewed violence has intensified fear across local communities already grappling with escalating insecurity. Residents say the attacks mirror a disturbing rise in rural assaults across the state, following recent incidents in nearby villages where gunmen abducted farmers and terrorized settlements.

READ ALSO:

• How Kebbi gov secured safe release of 24 Maga schoolgirls without paying ransom
• Sudan’s Burhan urges Trump to help end war with RSF as peace efforts stall
• Driver killed as troops foil bandits’ kidnapping attempt on Makurdi–Kura highway

The latest incidents add to a growing pattern of violent raids stretching across parts of Niger State, where communities near Shiroro, Munya and Rafi LGAs have faced relentless attacks by armed groups operating from forested hideouts.

Local leaders are calling for urgent intervention from the state and federal governments, warning that the worsening situation threatens food security, displaces families, and deepens the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on Wednesday’s attacks, but community members insist that without a coordinated and sustained response, bandits will continue to overrun vulnerable areas.

Residents are pleading for reinforced military presence, improved surveillance, and protection for farming communities as the dry-season harvest period continues — a time when bandits often intensify their operations.

Bandits abduct 24, mutilate blind man in fresh attacks on Niger communities