Unknown gunmen killed three persons on Wednesday night while an unspecified number of people were kidnapped in Maguzawa community in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger state.
A source told DAILY POST that most of those abducted were women and children, explaining that many residents fled their homes to Kagara and Pandogari communities in Niger State and Birinin Gwari town in Kaduna State.
According to the source, Maguzawa is about 25km from Kagara town in Niger State and 12km from Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State.
He explained that the attack on Maguzawa came less than 48 hours after bandits killed about five persons and many others were abducted in a raid of the Gidigore community also in Rafi Local Government, on Tuesday night.
According to the source, “In Maguzawa, three persons were slaughtered and unspecified number of people were kidnapped and some people have fled. We have seen three corpses so far and they were slaughtered. We don’t know the number of people they went away with for now.”
The source further explained that for the past three weeks, many communities in Rafi had been under the siege of bandits.
He stated that a resident, Ibrahim Ahmad’s brother was among those kidnapped on Tuesday night, explaining that many people had fled their homes to Kagara and Pandogari in Niger State and Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.
The source noted that in less than three weeks, they have witnessed about 10 different attacks on various communities in the local government, adding that before the Tuesday attack, last two weeks, bandits attacked Gulbi, Unguwan-Jaye and Kusherki communities where eight persons were killed and 36 others kidnapped while one person was seriously injured.
“As I speak to you, they have demanded N50 million for the first set of people they kidnapped,” he explained.
He explained that several houses and properties belonging to peasant farmers were set ablaze during Tuesday’s attack that lasted several hours without any help from the security personnel.
He stressed the need for humanitarian support from government, organisations, and individuals especially food and children wear to cushion the hardship of natives that have lost all their belongings.
According to him, Gidigore community where the latest attack was recorded, is a few kilometres away from Birnin Gwari town, Kaduna State, where the bandits have carried out several attacks leading to the loss of lives and destruction of property.
DSP Wasiu Abiodun, the state Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the attack on Didigore but could not ascertain the latest attack.
According to him, during the attack, about three persons lost their lives and a yet-to-be ascertained number of victims were abducted, while two houses were set ablaze.
