From Mathew Jwantu,
Minna
Eight persons are feared killed by bandits in an attack on Kaure community, Kwaki Ward in Shiroro local government area of Niger state.
The attacks which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, also left several persons critically injured and many displayed from their homes.
The Councillor representing the ward, Jafaru Kwaki confirmed the attacks on telephone, saying information of the attacks only got to him on Sunday as the affected community is a remote one.
He said, “I received the sad report on Sunday that, armed men dressed in black stormed Kaure community in Kwaki, that’s under my ward, as early as 7:00am. They were on motorbikes, as it is their style, and began to shoot sporadically.”
He said so far he has received report of the death of eight persons while over fifteen persons are battling with gun wounds.
“Eight persons have lost their lives in the attack. As for the injured persons, we cannot ascertain the number of people injured in the attack yet, because many escaped into the bushes with bullet wounds, but we were able to move 15 who sustained various degrees of injuries to health centres,” Kwaki said.
The attackers also rustled cows, dispossessed locals of cash and food stuff at gunpoint.
“They burnt two vehicles, five machines and some houses in the attack. At the moment, many of our people are also missing. We have however dispatched search parties made up of vigilantes to comb the bush for them, while we try to move displaced persons to safe locations,” Kwaki further explained.
This is the third time in December alone that armed men have attacked communities in Shiroro local government area. Earlier in the month, attacks by bandits in eight communities across Rafi and Shiroro local government areas saw at least thirteen persons killed.
The district head of Madaka, Alhaji Zakari Yau, his wife, the village head of Kukoki and four others, including the Secretary of the district council and a retired soldier were kidnapped.
Similarly, some expatriates working around the area were reportedly abducted by bandits.
The Police in Niger state has however remained silent on the attacks and would not speak to journalists.
While the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Dan-Innah has declined to speak to journalists on the basis that he is on leave, efforts to speak to the Police Commissioner, Adamu Usman, proofed abortive as did not pick his calls nor respond to SMS sent to him.
The Acting Public Relations Officer, ASP Uthman Umar, responding to the several missed calls our correspondent gave him, said the command is not aware of such attacks, but that he believed if there is any such happening, the command would get a report by Monday. He promised to keep our reporter abreast of any development on the matter.
The locals have accused security operatives of compromise, alleging that the security agencies in the state have knowledge of the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa has condemned the attack on Kaure as he calls on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency dispatch security personnel to tackle the renewed spade of attacks in Rafi and Shiroro local government areas of the state.
He also tasks security agencies in the state to up their ante in the fight against bandits. He particularly urged the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs to come up with strategies that would nip in bud the challenge once and for all.
Senator Sani Musa in a statement he personally signed said his people cannot be left to die in the hands of bandits, saying he would continue to make case for them at the national assembly until something is done to arrest the ugly situation.
As at the time of filing this report, the State Emergency Management Agency said it has activated emergency response mechanism to deal with the situation in Kaure.
The Director General of the Agency Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Inga said his office is however yet to receive report of casualty.