Bandits attack District Head, kidnap six, kill 11 in Niger

Kukoki village in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State was thrown into disarray on Tuesday Night when armed bandits held its people hostage for three hours.

At the end of the three hours operation, the District head of Madaka, Alhaji Zakari Yau, his wife as well as the village head of Kukoki were kidnapped by the bandits.

Six other members of the village were also whisked away by bandits in the evening raids on Tuesday

The Secretary of the district council and a retired soldier were among the victims.

According to a report from the area, the bandits numbering over 20 stormed the district at about 10pm Tuesday and started shooting sporadically into the air before they also embarked on breaking into the houses of the villagers.

They were said to have ransacked all the houses and shops in the community and looted goods and foodstuffs.

A number of cattle and sheep were also rustled by the bandits who invaded the village in about 15 motorcycles.

This incident is coming barely two days after 11 people were killed in another community, Koki in Shiroro Council in an attack that occurred on Sunday morning when they were preparing to go to church.

Over 20 people were also said to have sustained serious injury from that attack, the third this year.

A source in Kukoki village told our correspondent that before the arrival of security operatives after several hours of a distress call, the bandits had disappeared into the bush.

In confirmation of the incidents, the state government said it has mobilised security operatives to carry out air and land surveillance with the sole aim of tracking and arresting the bandits that have again been terrorising the communities.

Governor Abubakar Bello in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Berje, said security operatives have been directed "to fish and flush out the bandits terrorizing the communities".

Bello in the statement assured that "Niger state government is working alongside security apparatus in the state to stem the tide of pandemonium at the flashpoints, so as to bring succour and peace to the affected and surrounding communities

"The State Government is aware that the bandits are crossing over from neighboring states such as Zamfara and Kaduna axis to Allawa and Erena axis and from Brini-Gwari adjacent Kamuku National Park, we will do everything to stop their migration into the state".