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Adelani Adepegba, Maiharaji Altine and Adebayo Ayinla
Niger State Government on Thursday stepped up efforts to rescue students and workers of Government Science College, Kagara who were abducted on Wednesday.
A competent source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told one of our correspondents that officials of Niger and Zamfara state governments met some bandits at Dutsin Magaji of Kotonkoro forest in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State on Thursday evening.
The source stated, “The committee from Niger State went to Kotonkoro forest this evening where the bandits who allegedly took the students chose as meeting centre. Some officials of Zamfara State also joined them.”
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Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State after gunmen’s abduction of 27 students and 15 workers…on February 17, 2021. Photos: Adebayo Ayinde
Our correspondents
A resident, who witnessed the kidnapping of 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, has described how the kidnappers tied their victims in pairs and took them away.
The man, who lives close to the school, confided in
The PUNCH on Wednesday that the bandits, who wore military uniform, stormed the school at 2am.
When one of our correspondents got to the school at 2pm on Wednesday, he observed that many buildings including classrooms and hostels were dilapidated.
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Adebayo Ayinde, Minna
Barely 48 hours after an attack on the Raffi-Kotangora Road, bandits on Tuesday embarked on a daring broad daylight raid on some communities in Niger State and killed 10 persons and abducted 24 others.
This was just as the state government confirmed the killing of the village head of Kusherki in the Rafi Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Masud Abubakar, by the bandits, who also abducted his wife.
Five of those killed were said to be members of the local vigilante group, while the others were young boys said to be supporting the vigilantes.
The raid, according to eyewitnesses, began around 12.30pm and lasted till around 2pm.
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Sunday Aborisade and Godwin Isenyo
The Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Sani Musa, raised the alarm on Monday that about 100 bandits invaded his constituency on Sunday, killed seven people and rustled over 1,000 cows.
Musa, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja, lamented that security operatives did nothing to prevent the deadly attacks despite the fact that the residents had passed on necessary information to the security agencies.
He expressed the fear that more attacks would be launched by the bandits in the state because of the poor response of security operatives.
He said, “The security situation in Niger State and most parts of northern Nigeria has collapsed and this is highly disturbing.
Food-hunting bandits raid Niger communities, kill two, abduct 15 women
Adebayo Ayinde, Minna
Bandits said to be numbering about 200 on Sunday invaded some communities in Munya and Paikoro local government areas of Niger State, killing two vigilantes, a middle age man and injuring about 15 others in an operation which the villagers said was targeted only at foodstuffs.
About 15 women were abducted and made to help the bandits carry the looted foodstuffs from the communities. They however promised to release the women after helping them to take the foodstuffs to a particular location.
Communities invaded by the bandits include Beni, old and new Dalolo, Aboloso, Ishau and Amale, all in the Paikoro LGA, while Gwari Nyayi, Kabiri and Biri in Munya LGA were also raided.