A fresh wave of insecurity has hit Niger State after armed bandits invaded Tungar Gari in Kontagora Local Government Area, killing one person and abducting several others, including four women.
The attack, which occurred on Thursday night, was confirmed by a security analyst, Bakatsine, who raised an alarm on social media early Friday morning.
He noted that the incident adds to the growing trend of gender-based violence linked to banditry in the region.
“Unfortunately, the assault on Tungar Gari is not just another case of rural banditry. Women remain the most vulnerable victims, and their abductions show a disturbing rise in gender-related violence,” Bakatsine said.
Furthermore, confirming from some residents who pleaded anonymity, they described how the attackers stormed the community, shooting sporadically before whisking away their victims.
According to them, the swift and coordinated nature of the raid left villagers in shock and fear.
A youth leader in Kontagora, who pleaded anonymity, condemned the attack, stressing that rural dwellers are being left at the mercy of criminal gangs. “We keep crying out for help, but little is changing. Every week, one village or another is attacked,” he lamented.
AFRIPOST reports that the latest attack shows the persistence of insecurity in Niger State, where communities in remote areas continue to suffer repeated assaults despite military operations in parts of the North-Central region.
Meanwhile, security experts have warned that unless stronger counter-measures are deployed, such attacks could further destabilise farming communities and worsen humanitarian challenges in the state.