The village head of Kusherki in Rafi local government area of Niger state, Alhaji Masud Abubakar has been killed alongside ten other villagers by bandits. The bandits also kidnapped twenty villagers from different communities in the area while the wife of the slain traditional ruler was among those kidnapped.
An eyewitness told our Correspondent that the raid started at about 12:30 and lasted till around 2:pm unabated. The bandits numbering up to fifty were said to have invaded the Communities on Motorcycles armed with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons as they rode from village to village and started shooting sporadically and ended up killing eleven people including the village head. Among the eleven killed were five members of the local Vigilante and other youths supporting the vigilante men.
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It was reliably gathered that the bandits started from Kasuwe village and moved from there to other villages killing and maiming innocent villagers.
They were also said to have moved from house to house and carted away with cash, valuables, and foodstuffs. Just as the invasion was on in these Communities, another set of bandits were also reported to have blocked the Major Highway from Sarkin Pawa to Minna leaving motorists to scramble for their safety.
Secretary of Munyan Local Government, Mr. James Isaac Jagaba confirmed the story but could not ascertain whether people were abducted or not. According to him ‘I cannot give details of what actually happened now but members of the Vigilante are still battling with the bandits’.
Reacting to the incessant banditry especially in the past three days, the state government in a statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Mrs. Mary Noel-Berje confirmed the Kusherki incident and lamented the increasing activities of kidnappers and Bandits in the state which she said is becoming a nightmare to the people.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
