Against the backdrop of escalating bandit attacks, the Niger State government has appealed to the Nigeria army to redeploy troops to communities prone to terrorist attacks in the state.
Mr Yakubu Garba, Acting Governor of the State, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen after the 3-days Fidda’u prayer for 13 people killed by bandits in Shiroro.
The victims lost their lives on Wednesday this week after they were ambushed by bandits on their way to their farms in Anguwan village.
Garba said that the withdrawal of troops from Allawa and other communities has weakened the government’s efforts to eradicate insecurity in the state.
“I want to appeal to our military to see reasons to go back to Allawa and other vulnerable areas to give full security cover to our people who are predominantly farmers,” he said, adding that the Bago-led administration had deployed strategies to end insecurity which had brought safety to commuters along Kuta, Gwada, Zumba and Erena roads in Shiroro until the Wednesday incident shattered the peace of the area.
He said those killed in the attack were displaced farmers that left the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
Malam Isah Allawa, father of one of the victims, said the bandits killed eight people by shooting while five others drowned in a river while trying to flee the scene of the attack.
“My son Mubarak Isah is among the people killed; the bandits caught them unawares, separated people from Allawa and those from Kagara in Rafi Local Government.
“The bandits asked people from Kagara to go while those from Allawa had their hands tied to their back before they started killing them,” he said.
Also, Murjanatu Musa, who lost her son in the attack, said the deceased was married with a daughter, adding that the deceased’s father was also killed in 2023 by bandits.
The acting Governor was accompanied to the three-day Fidda’u prayer by the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umaru Farouk. (NAN)
