Armed bandits, numbering about 18, have invaded Angwar Rimi in Guna District, in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, killing one person and abducting five others, in an early morning attack.
The bandits, who stormed the village in nine motorcycles, according to a source close to the village, also rustled 32 cows from the village.
The attack, which was the third in one week on the village, occurred, yesterday, at about 2am morning.
Two previous attacks, on Monday and Tuesday, were not successful before coming well prepared yesterday.
Two youths in the village sustained gunshot injuries during the attack and were rushed to the Wushishi General Hospital for treatment.
Confirming the incident, the Village Head of Rafin Gora in the district, Alhaji Sallau Bangui Danladi said despite complaints to the security agents after the two unsuccessful attacks, nobody came to their rescue before yesterday’s invasion.
He identified the victim that was killed by the bandits as Hamza Boka, describing him as, “a dedicated and dependable promising young man loved by all.”
The royal father said that the bandits also compelled the abducted five villagers to help in moving the rustled cows away.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has suggested that if the current war against insurgency and armed bandits across the country must be won, there is the urgent need for a review of the country’s intelligence gathering.
The governor gave the suggestion during a discussion panel at the 2nd Umaru Shinkafi Intelligence and Security Summit, organised by the Umaru Shinkafi Legacy Foundation, held in Abuja.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mary Noel Berje, quoted the governor as also calling for proper training of the local vigilante groups to complement the efforts of the security agencies in the country.
He said: “When we have tip-off and troops are deployed, the bandits get wind of their movement and relocate.”
While making a case for State police in the country, governor Bello said the time has come because Nigeria’s population has increased tremendously, pointing out that “we can’t continue to avoid the issue of state police forever, even if it is not now, certainly, sometimes to come, because Nigeria’s population has gone beyond 200 million.”
