Bandits kill seven farmers in Niger

Suspected bandits have killed seven farmers, including a vigilante in Bangi, Mariga LGA of Niger State.

Sources in the community said the incident occurred on Thursday.

The police confirmed the incident but said the victims were members of a local vigilante.

According to a resident, the victims had gone to their farm with a truck to evacuate harvested maize when the bandits ambushed them.

They killed the farmers and set the truck and the harvest on fire.

“Seven of our farmers had gone to the farm to bring the maize they had harvested home.

“The attackers hid and waited until after the victims had loaded the 50 bags of maize into the truck and were about to take off to return home. Then, they opened fire on them. After killing the victims, they also set the truck and the 50 bags of maize ablaze,” the resident said.

He said farmers in Mariga were afraid to harvest their crops this year due to killings and kidnappings by bandits.

The spokesperson of the police in Niger State, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the killing of seven persons.

He said, “On 16th November, around 3 p.m., vigilante men from Wamba/Yan-sakai were ambushed within Makogi/Ungwan Elbi around Bangi in Mariga local government by suspected kidnappers Unfortunately, it caused loss of lives of some of the members”.

Mr Abiodun said a joint security team of the police and the military has been sent to the area.

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In another development, bandits killed one Mallam Danjuma, a resident of Kontagora, after reportedly collecting a N20 million ransom from his family.

The victim was reportedly killed after spending three weeks in captivity.

Sources said the news of Mr Danjuma’s death was brought to his family by one of the kidnapped victims who escaped from the kidnappers’ den.

Yahaya Suleiman, a resident of Kontagora, told our correspondent that kidnapping had become a daily occurrence in parts of the town in the last few weeks.