10 bandits rape woman, kill man in Niger

The village head of Durumi, one of the communities caught in the renewed bandit attacks in Shiroro and Rafi Local Government Areas of Niger State, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar, has said that a woman was raped by ten bandits during one of their operations. The village head who fled with his family to Lafene Primary School, […]

The village head of Durumi, one of the communities caught in the renewed bandit attacks in Shiroro and Rafi Local Government Areas of Niger State, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar, has said that a woman was raped by ten bandits during one of their operations.

The village head who fled with his family to Lafene Primary School, Kagara, which serves as a temporary camp, told our correspondent that the victim is receiving treatment in one of the medical facilities in the headquarters of Rafi Local Government Area.

According to him, the victim fainted during the act.

He added that the bandits also killed a young man during one of the raids.

“It was a sad day for us to see a human being slaughtering another, while women were raped and brutalised,” he said.

He urged the state and federal government to do something about the vast forest along Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara borders, where the bandits hide before launching their attacks on communities.

Meanwhile, more camps have been opened in Tegina and Kusherki, as the number of internally displaced persons swell.

One of the women from Kusherki community was said to have put to bed in the early hours of Thursday at the Lafene Primary School, where some IDPs are being sheltered.

Daily Trust reports that the youths in Kagara town on Wednesday protested against the spate of violence in the two local government areas. The protesters, mostly women and children accused government of failing to address the security challenges in their respective communities.

However, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has condemned the renewed attacks.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs. Mary Noel Berje, the governor expressed concern over the attacks, adding that security operatives have been mandated to embark on a manhunt for the criminals.

He appealed to the military to utilise the vast forest along the state’s border with Kaduna and Kebbi states by either establishing a formation or a training camp to checkmate the activities of criminals.