Bandits kidnap 30 in Niger state

Bandits early Monday invaded Jangaru village in Rafi local government area of Niger state kidnapping no fewer than 30 people. Jangaru is a close village to Zungeru town where series of kidnapping including that of the abduction of travellers in the Niger state Transport vehicle,(NSTA) had taken place.

An impeccable source from the village told our Correspondent the heavily armed bandits sneaked into the village on foot to avoid awareness of the villagers. It was gathered that the bandits had hidden their motorcycles far away from the village and trekked from their “Park” to the village and rounded up their victims while sleeping. The source added that some of the bandits were left behind with the Motorcycles while others trekked to carry out the act in the village.

The bandits after arriving the village went from house to house, woke their victims up, stole their belongings and led the people to where they parked their Motorcycles and ferried them into the forest. “The villagers were caught unaware because they were all sleeping.

Again, there was no noise because the kidnappers trekked to the village and there was no gunshot throughout to cause any panic. “The villagers who left with nothing were forced to trek along with them to their Motorcycles where they rode into the forest and till now, no information about them received,” the source explained. Immediately the bandits left, an alarm was said to have been raised by the lucky villagers left behind but it was too late to trail the kidnappers.

The analysis of those kidnapped shows that 9 of them were Fulanis, 20 were Gwaris while the original tribe of the last abductee could not be immediately ascertained. All efforts to reach out to Chairman of Rafi local government Council, Alhaji Ismaila Modibo Kagara on the issue was abortive.

Similarly, the state Police Command could not be reached for confirmation as at the time of going to Press but a senior local government official in the area who pleaded anonymity confirmed the development. “We heard about the invasion of the village by bandits and it is quite unfortunate.

A report has been sent to the Divisional Police Officer in Zungeru ” but we are yet to hear from him,”” he remarked. It would be recalled that 18 passengers travelling in 3 commercial vehicles were abducted around 2:am last week at Kundu, close to Zungeru bridge in the same local government area. The three vehicles in which the travellers were travelling in and abandoned at the spot of the kidnap are said to have been taken to Zungeru Police Post but the whereabouts of those abducted are yet unknown.

The Chairman of Rafi local government Council Alhaji Ismaila Modibo Kagara has confirmed the abduction but said it happened at Kutunku Village in Wushishi local government area of Niger state. Kutunku according to him is a border town with Kundu in the Yakila District of Rafi Local Government.

Speaking on phone, the local government Chairman said 24 persons were kidnapped at Kutunku Village before moving to another village called Adidi where they kidnapped another person called Ibrahim Gamaagi before proceeding to the next village where they abducted unspecified number of people. Vanguard