By Wole Mosadomi
Niger – Bandits have again invaded two local government areas in Niger State killing forty-four villagers including a blind man.
The local government invaded are Shiroro and Munya.
An impeccable Source from the areas told our Correspondent that the villages deeply affected are Galadinma Kolgo, Erena, Chukuba, and Allawa in Shiroro LGA where the gunmen killed 27 persons.
Mostly killed according to the Source were women and children while twenty-eight other women, three men and children whose number could not be immediately ascertained were abducted.
The villages ravaged were Guni, Dazza and Zagzaga communities in Munya local government where no fewer than ten women and an unspecified number of children were abducted before setting their houses and farmlands ablaze.
President, Lakpma Youth Association, Jibril Allawa who confirmed this to our Correspondent said the bandits have already opened up discussions with relatives of those abducted and are demanding Sixty million naira (N60 million) ransom before they can be released.
“Already, most of the affected communities in the two local government areas are now ghost towns as the villagers have taken refuge at the internally displaced person camp (IDP) in Central primary school, Gwada.”
Also, the Co-Convener Concerned Shiroro Youths Abubakar Sani Bello Kokki while confirming the development said, the gunmen stormed the Communities in a large convoy of motorcycles with each carrying two or three passengers wreaked havoc and held the communities, hostage, for several hours.
According to him “these villagers can no longer harvest their farm produces because the gunmen have warned them to stay away from their farms.
“We, therefore, call on both Federal and state governments to intervene immediately,” he pleaded.
The Police Public Relations Officer DSP Wasiu Abiodun could not be reached for more confirmation.