Bandits attack Niger again, kill 13, raze police station

Bandits have struck again in Niger State as they attacked Beri town in the Bobi District, razing a police station and killing about 13 people, including a police officer.

The attack was reported by the Niger State Emergency Management Agency in a memo on Monday.

This came barely a day after scores of Islamic school pupils were kidnapped in the state. The school on Monday confirmed 138 were kidnapped.

According to the emergency agency, the Beri attack left many people injured.

The bandits also attacked Unguwan Malam Bako in Kotonkoro District and abducted an unconfirmed number of people, the agency added.

The agency named those killed in the attack as Idris Ahmed Kwata, Hadiza Umaru Tunga, Momi Dalladi, Ibrahim Dalkadi, Yau Dalladi, Saadiya Garba, Garba Umar Tashanjirgi, Hussaini Shuaib, Ayuba Garba, Abdullahi Jodi, Alhaji Isah Kasakohi and Fatima Nasiru Kwata.

Niger is one of the states worst affected by banditry in Nigeria today.

In a statement on Sunday, Niger State’s Governor Abubakar Bello described the state of insecurity as a “war situation.”

“The situation has reached crisis level, in fact it’s a war situation that we have to confront without further delay,” he said.