News Editor
Peter Jerome
Bandits numbering over ten yesterday, at about 8pm stormed Batatti in Niger State and kidnapped five persons, looted valuable items including laptops and handsets while injuring many others.
According to reports, the bandits arrived Batati in a white hilux vehicle and perform congregational ishai prayers with members of the community before shooting into the air, causing shop owners, petty business hawkers to abandon their wares and shops for safety.
According to an eyewitness account, the bandits about ten in number operated in the shop of one Kolade Olushola at Batatti and other shops by the major Bida-Mokwa road highway. After several hours of causing havoc in Batati, they escaped the area through Gbangbagi community to the forest of Fazhi and kutigi, the headquarters of lavun Local government.
The bandits are currently demanding the sum of N50 million as ramsons on the five victims in their possession.
Meanwhile, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alh. Yahaya Abubakar, has called for an emergency meeting of districts and village heads over the kidnap of the five persons in Batatti, Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State by bandits.
