Following the renewed pogrom unleashed by bandits in villages across Niger state, the State Government has called on the Nigerian Army to deploy more troops to the affected communities in the state placed under siege by bandits. The call followed an unabated attacks on several local governments areas in the state that have succumb to faith as residents either get killed or abducted on daily bases.
In some cases, shops and local houses get set ablaze even after they are looted completely.
The state’s acting governor, Yakubu Garba, made the call today while briefing newsmen today during the Fida’u prayer for 13 farmers killed by bandits in the Shiroro LG.
The deceased farmers were on their farms tilling the soil at Anguwan village when the bandits stroked and shot nine of them on the spot while dragged the remaining four to a different location where they were also butchered.
Garba, in his speech, said the withdrawal of troops from Allawa and other communities had weakened the government’s efforts to end insecurity in the state.
“I want to appeal to our military to see reasons to go back to Allawa and other bandits-prone areas to give full security cover to our people who are predominantly farmers.
“The withdrawal of troops from Allawa and other communities has weakened the government’s efforts to eradicate insecurity in the state.
“The Bago-led administration had deployed strategies to end insecurity, which had brought safety to commuters along the Kuta, Gwada, Zumba and Erena roads in Shiroro council. Those farmers killed in the attack were displaced farmers who left the Internally Displaced Persons (camp),” Garba said.
Father of one of the victims, Isah Allawa, while narrating his ordeal to newsmen, said, “My son Mubarak Isah is among the victim killed; the bandits caught them unaware. They separated people from Allawa and those from Kagara in Rafi Local Government.
“The bandits asked people from Kagara to go while those from Allawa had their hands tied to their backs before they started killing them.”
Also, a widow, Murjanatu Musa, who lamented that she lost her son in the attack, said the deceased was married before he was killed. She said she lost her husband in 2023 to a bandits’ attack.