Bandits have killed seven farmers, including a vigilante, and set fire on truck conveying 50 bags of rice when they attacked Bangi, Mariga LGA of Niger State.
The spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, revealed this.
He said, “On November 16 around 3pm, vigilante men from Wamba/Yan-sakai were ambushed within Makogi/Ungwan Elbi by suspected kidnappers, unfortunately caused loss of lives of some of the members”.
Abiodun said a joint security operatives comprising the police and the military tactical teams had been mobilised to the area to forestall reoccurrence and ensure a peaceful farming harvest season.
Locals revealed that the victims were evacuating harvested maize back home from their farm when the bandits ambushed them, killed all the occupants in the truck and set the truck on fire.
According to a local, “The attackers hid and waited until after the victims had loaded the 50 bags of maize into the truck and were about to take off to return home when they opened fire on them. After killing the victims, they also set the truck and the 50 bags of maize already loaded ablaze”.
He said due to frequent killings, and kidnappings by bandits farmers in Mariga were not harvesting their crops.
Also, a resident of Kontagora, the headquarters of Kontagora LGA Malam Danjuma, had been killed by gunmen after reportedly collecting N20 million ransom from his family.
Danjuma had been in three-weeks before he was murdered
Locals said an escapee from the kidnappers’ den revealed the news of Danjuma’s death to his family.
