News Editor
By David Odama
Bandits suspected to be running out of foodstuffs following a sustained military action have reportedly killed three people in Niger.
They are also reported to have attacked another vehicle conveying loaves of bread to the market and carted away the contents of the vehicle while the driver of the attacked was allowed to escape.
According to reports from the area, the incident occurred on Sunday morning around 9am during which the armed men blocked the road, shooting sporadically on moving vehicles.
The owner of the vehicle in which the three passengers were killed, Alhaji Shehu Kotonkoro claimed the God that saved his life.
Speaking in an interview with reporters, Alhaji Kotonkoro disclosed that his driver, a girl and one other man identified as Alhaji Ibrahim were in his car on their way to the market when they were ambushed by the bandits but unfortunately did not survived.
Lamenting the shortage of security personnel in the area, Alhaji Kotonkoro said ” the incident happened just about 5km from Kotonkoro. The bandits later abducted two rice farmers harvesting rice on their farm 2km from the town”.
He said that the incident has brought panic to the inhabitants of the area adding that, “students from the community schools have been asked to return home to avoid being attacked”.
The Chairman, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, Alhaji Abbas Musa Kasuwa- Garba confirmed the incident and the death of three persons during the attack.
While sympathising with his people, the Chairman said, “the bandits activities have been consistent in the area due to our boarder with Zamfara, Kebbi and Kaduna states through Birinin Gwari axis. The bandits always strike on our community and return back to their camps located outside the Niger state”.
