×××Communities Deserted After Fresh Attack in Borgu
Armed men suspected to be bandits have reportedly killed 26 persons and set ablaze a police station and several houses in fresh attacks on communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The latest violence occurred in the early hours of Saturday in Tungan Makeri and Nkpaso communities, both in Konkoso Ward, barely a week after politicaol and traditional leaders in Borgu Kingdom sent a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) appeal to the Federal Government, calling for the establishment of a military base to curb incessant attacks.
Local sources said the attackers, numbering over 200, first stormed Nkpaso community, moving from house to house before unleashing violence on residents. Twenty-six people were confirmed dead, while scores sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Several houses were razed and shops looted as residents fled in different directions for safety. The attackers also set fire to the police station in Konkoso after officers on duty reportedly retreated in the face of overwhelming numbers. There were no immediate reports of weapons carted away.
A community source alleged that the attackers warned residents against seeking government protection, claiming authorities could not guarantee their safety. According to the source, the gunmen said the people should instead consider making peace with them and reportedly threatened further attacks.
It was also alleged that some of those killed were individuals believed to be at the forefront of calls for increased security presence in the area.
Recall that last week, political and traditional leaders across Borgu Kingdom — comprising Borgu and Agwara Local Government Areas — appealed to the Federal Government to urgently deploy more security personnel to the troubled communities.
They specifically called for the establishment of a military base, describing the security situation as worrisome and frightening.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, alongside other community leaders, had addressed journalists, lamenting that residents now live in constant fear and displacement within their own communities.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Niger State Government nor the Police Command had issued an official statement regarding the latest attack.
