“It was brazen, it was scary, they operated near a police station and had the comfort of arrogance and time as they sorted the weak from the strong before leaving the gateway town of Tegina. It appears this State is completely surrounded by bandits,” were the comments of two residents of Tegina and Minna, the Niger State capital.
Tegina, the popular T-junction town that links Minna to the federal highway from Kaduna, which proceeds to the southern parts of the country, was thrown into panic as dreaded bandits operated unrestrained, a stone-throw from the popular town’s Police station, where there was no response, not even a whimper.
By the time the bandits sorted out kidnapped students from an Islamic school into the strong and weak, letting go the weak, one person laid dead.
The news comes as a video showing helpless commuters abandoning vehicles and scampering for safety emerged. It was not clear when the video was shot around Zungeru junction leading to Tegina.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello expressed shock and sadness over the recent reports of abduction of innocent people by armed bandits in several communities across three Local Government Areas of Rafi, Wushishi and Lavun in the state.
A statement from his office referenced media reports that armed bandits invaded Tegina community in Rafi Local Government Area, shot one person dead and left one seriously injured, kidnapping an unconfirmed number of Islamiyya students and teachers from Salihu Tanko Islamic School alongside some passengers of a Sharon Bus travelling to Minna.
He expressed outrage at the escalating level of banditry in the state while reiterating his emergency call on the Federal Government for prompt intervention.
“The situation has reached crisis level, infact it’s a war situation that we have to confront without further delay”, the Governor fumed while also stating that the state government is still searching and conducting House-to-House headcount to ascertain the exact number of children abducted.
Reports also have it that the gunmen, on about 70 Motorcycles, attacked 17 communities in Wushishi Local Government Area where they shot several people while some women and children drowned as they tried to escape across River Kaduna.
More than ten people are reported to be receiving treatment at the Wushishi General Hospital even as search is still ongoing for many missing persons from Babako, Tashan Girgi, Kwakwagi, Fakara, Ndiga, Buzu, Akare, Kala Kala, Agwa, Anguwan Gizo, Tsamiya and other neighbouring villages attacked by the Bandits.
The Governor described as unfortunate and unbecoming the serial attacks and assured that the Joint Military Taskforce have been mobilized and are already tracing the criminals for possible isolation and ambush.
Governor Sani Bello further appealed for calm and restated the strong resolve of the state government to continue to protect the lives and property of the citizens as a matter of utmost importance and priority.
Meanwhile,11 children, the statement added, who were too small and couldn’t walk, among the kidnapped Islamiyya students, were released by the gunmen as reports also indicate that the Internallly Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Central and Model Primary Schools as well as Government Secondary school in Wushishi are returning back to their communities following return of normalcy.
A source added that contrary to earlier information, only scores of the pupils were taken away and not hundreds as reported in the media.
Comments were still being expected from the Police in the State.
Niger State has been at the receiving end of violence by cults in Minna, the state capital, where gangs of young have attacked themselves.
In the outer parts like Shiroro, Munya, and Rafi Local Government Areas (LGAs), roaming bandits have had a field day, abducting men, women, and children, and raking in ransom money in the process.
An exasperated Governor Abubakar Sani Bello weeks ago lamented that his state was being overrun by bandits, adding that Boko Haram terrorists took over a village, took over wives of residents, and hoisted a flag of the insurgents.