By Laleye Dipo
The head of the local vigilante in Madaka village in the Rafi local government area of Niger state, Alhaji Ishyaku Alhassan, his son Abdulhamid Ishyaku and one Ibrahim Ubale Muazu have been killed by bandits who invaded the community on Sunday afternoon.
Also several villagers were injured while the District Head of the area Alhaji Zakari Yau who was only recently released after about three months in the custody of bandits and several others were kidnapped.
THISDAY was told by eyewitnesses that some vehicles and many houses were burnt by the bandits who raided the community in very large number between 11am and 2pm.
They reportedly shot sporadically into the air and also went from house to house attacking the villagers and dispossessing them of their valuable items, including money.
The villagers according to eyewitnesses ran helter skelter in a bid to save their lives.
The Chief of Staff to the Rafi local Government Council Chairman Alhaji Mohammed Mohammed confirmed the story.
Mohammed said due to fear of the bandits the corpses of those that were killed had not been recovered.
The police could not be reached for confirmation of this report.
Only last week the Senator representing the Niger East Senatorial district of Niger state in the National Assembly in an SoS said life was now unbearable for members of his constituent as a result of bandit attacks.
Musa in a statement said in one week not less than 5000 people were displaced from their homes with 30 abducted and 2 killed.
“In one week, armed men in their hundreds have unleashed mayhem and terror on innocent citizens in their peaceful villages, forcing them to evacuate their homes into homelessness, ” Musa said in the statement titled :”Niger Security: One Week of Sleeplessness,” after which he called on the federal government to arrest the situation.
