IN a devastating assault on Madaka community within the Rafi local government area of Niger State, suspected bandits have wrought havoc, claiming the lives of no fewer than 21 individuals, among them, the village head.
The incident unfolded with terrifying swiftness around 3pm on Thursday, amidst the bustling activity of the community market, resulting in a grim tally of casualties.
Reports from the scene suggest that it was utter chaos, with approximately 50 residences engulfed in flames, along with several commercial establishments, and a number of automobiles and motorcycles reduced to charred remnants.
The assailants, armed and unrelenting, are said to have descended upon the village with merciless gunfire, indiscriminately snuffing out lives and reducing the once-vibrant market to ash. Furthermore, they callously abducted an unknown number of villagers, spiriting them away to an undisclosed location.
Alhaji Isah Bawale, a respected district head, verified the harrowing events in a somber telephone interview from Minna, the state capital. This tragedy marks a chilling recurrence, as the community had previously weathered a similar assault years ago, resulting in the untimely demise of a former district head.
Alarmingly, Madaka has languished without adequate security presence since that fateful day, leaving its inhabitants vulnerable to the whims of marauding bandits, who have since operated with impunity.
Efforts to seek clarification and assurance from the Niger State Command of Police, through the Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun, were met with promises of verification and a follow-up, though no response had been forthcoming at the time of this report.
The Niger State Government is yet to make a comment regarding the incident, prompting mounting concerns regarding measures being taken to safeguard vulnerable communities like Madaka against such brazen acts of violence.
Meanwhile, the Northern Senators Forum has decried the recent wave of kidnappings and other violent activities in the region, calling on the Federal government to come up with urgent and resolute action to end the menace.
In a statement released by its Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, in Abuja on Thursday, the group vowed that it would not “rest until the security situation is significantly improved and the perpetrators of these heinous acts are brought to justice.”
Yar’adua, who recently replaced Senator Abdul Ningi who resigned as the Chairman of the Forum following his three-month suspension by the Senate, said the recent wave of violence and kidnappings in the North is a major concern to the Northern Senators Forum.
He said that the Forum is committed to pursuing a lasting solution to this menace and will spare no effort in ensuring it is brought to a halt.
“The series of events that have unfolded in Kaduna State, beginning with the kidnapping of 286 students and staff from a school on March 7th, the despicable attack on worshippers in a mosque on March 8th, the abduction of 61 more persons on March 12th, followed by 14 individuals on March 17th, and a staggering total of 87 individuals in Kujuru on March 18th, amongst others, are not only reprehensible but demand urgent and resolute action,” the statement read in part.