BANDITS have attacked Damala village in Woko district of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, killing at least four persons.
The attack, which happened in the early hours of Saturday, January 10 comes barely one week after gunmen killed 42 residents in several communities, including the Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, in Borgu and neighbouring Agwara LGAs.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the latest onslaught to News Point Nigeria on Sunday.
In a statement, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said the attackers stormed the village, rustled an unspecified number of cattle, and killed four residents during the attack
He said the gunmen also set several shops in the community ablaze before fleeing the scene.
Abiodun, a Superintendent of Police, stated that security agencies promptly responded to the incident and have since visited the affected area.
He added that a clearance operation is currently ongoing, while security monitoring has been intensified to prevent further attacks and ensure the safety of residents.
The Command’s spokesman assured the public that efforts are being sustained to apprehend the perpetrators and restore normalcy in the area.
Bandits have frequently carried out mass kidnappings for ransom and loot villages in the North-Central and North-Western parts of the country.
Niger State has been one of the hardest hit in recent months. Other states affected include Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Kebbi and Zamfara.
In November, armed gangs seized more than 250 students and staff from a Catholic school in Niger State.
Authorities announced their release in two batches weeks later, without saying whether a ransom was paid.
The latest attack took place less than 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Papiri village, where the students and teachers were snatched from their school.
The local church for the area put the death toll from Saturday’s raid at more than 40, higher than the figure given by police.
“Reports indicate the bandits operated for hours with no security presence,” the Catholic Church in Kontagora said on its Facebook page.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris said that when the Kasuwan Daji market was struck, “the bullets” did not “choose victims based on religion.”
“Those killed and those abducted were traders, farmers, parents, schoolchildren from both Muslim and Christian backgrounds,” he said in a statement.