Bandits Kill Three People, Kidnap 10, Collect Jerry Cans of Petrol as Ransom in Niger

Bandits Kill Three People, Kidnap 10, Collect Jerry Cans of Petrol as Ransom in Niger

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Three people among them a woman and her daughter have been killed when bandits invaded some communities in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State last weekend.

During the operation, no fewer than 10 villagers were said to have also been abducted and taken into hiding.

The first incident occurred on Friday at Angwar Bulus and Tungan Makeri where a woman and her daughter were reportedly killed in the vicarage of a church.

In the second incident, 10 villagers were kidnapped on Saturday at Maikujeri village.

The Saturday operation, reports said, took place immediately Governor Abubakar Sani Bello left Kagara town, the headquarters of the local government area after visiting displaced people at the IDP camps.

THISDAY learnt that the bandits demanded for petrol as ransom for the release of some villagers kidnapped at Tungan Makeri and Angwar Bulus.

“I am aware that N80,000 worth of petrol in jerry cans were taken to the bandits in the bush.

“They have their contacts It is through these contacts that the relations of the victims were taken into the forest,” an eyewitness told THISDAY on phone.

He alleged that “a lot of things is happening here government is not doing anything about it. We cannot move freely from 4pm to 7am. The bandits move freely here.”

The witness, however, debunked claims that those kidnapped were from the Baptist Church in Pandogari, explaining that “those kidnapped are Christians and Muslims.”

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Niger State Police Command, DSP Muhammad Abubakar, said “we have heard such information but we have not confirmed
yet.”

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