Seven communities in Niger deserted over frequent gunmen attacks

Residents of about seven communities in the Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State have fled their homes following incessant attacks by gunmen suspected to be terrorists.

The criminals were said to have recently killed seven villagers and abducted about 26 others in the local government.

Executive Chairman of Mashegu, Umar Jibrin Igede, who spoke on the development in Minna on Saturday, said so far seven villages in the council had been deserted due to increasing attacks.

Some of the people had reportedly taken shelter at the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Kontagora.

He sited Kulho, Sahon Rami, and Tashin-Hajiya as the villages where the gunmen had unleashed terror in the past two weeks.

He stated, “A total of 26 persons have so far been abducted from the affected communities. Seven others were killed by the armed bandits in their renewed onslaught against the residents of the local government in the last five days”.

Igede pleaded with the state government and relevant security agencies to come to their aid.

He said, “The attacks by these bandits on Mashegu are becoming unbearable and we need serious assistance from the relevant security agencies to come to our rescue.”

It was also learnt that on Friday, 31 March, 2023, bandits unleashed terror on communities in the Munya Local Government, where six persons were killed and 14 others, mainly women, were kidnapped.

The same set of bandits also reportedly ambushed a joint team of security agencies and vigilante operatives, with both sides engaging in a gun duel.

This was said to have led to the killing of two vigilante corps just as several other bandits escaped to the forest with bullet injuries.