Bandits kill 15 farmers, abduct dozens in Niger

From Uthman Baba-Al-Sirajdeen, Minna

Gunmen suspected to be armed bandits on Sunday occupied two farming communities in Lapai local government area of Niger State killing 15 farmers and abducting dozens of locals.

The gunmen were said to have invaded Ebbo and Evuti communities in the early hours of Sunday killing 15 of the farmers who were working on their farm.
It was reliably gathered that the armed men invaded the two communities in their large numbers on motorcycles numbering 75 with each conveying three passengers.

It was further gathered that the daredevil armed bandits on arrival in both communities started shooting sporodically resulting in the killing of the 15 locals.

The armed men, had laid sieged on the communities in the last three days before wrecking havock in the early hours of Sunday
Findings by National Update revealed that the armed men had invaded the communities through the Logo and FCT axis which share common boundaries with Lapai, the headquarters of the two communities.
They were said to have escaped the massive onslaught launched against them by the combined team of security forces in FCT .
Before the current attack some other farming communities in the State had their fare share of the attacks by armed bandits in the last two weeks killing several of the farmers and abducting many locals.
Two weeks earlier a traditional ruler in Mariga local government area was killed by some gang of armed bandits over his refusal to allow his subjects pay the ransom of N50 million demanded from the communities who are mostly farmers

The commissioner for security and home affairs in Niger State Mr. Emmanuel Umar could not be reached for his comments, as at the time of filling the report.

However, the secretary to the government of Niger State (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane plwho neither confirm nor denied the report only,said “I will get back to you when I receive detailed report. For now I cannot really make any official comment as I’m yet to receive detailed report. I will get across to you please”