July 22, (THEWILL) – Gunmen suspected to be bandits, on Thursday night, invaded Kuchi community in Munya local government area of Niger state and abducted about 50 people after killing five of the villagers.
The gunmen, sources said, invaded the community at about 1:00am.
Numbering over hundred, they reportedly went from one house to another, waking up their victims (including women and children), before leading them into the bush through cattle roots.
This latest incident came barely five days after soldiers repelled an attack on a military camp in Sarkin Pawa, the headquarters of the local government.
Sources close to Sarkin Pawa, said the gunmen and their victims are currently stranded at Kuchi river bank, as the water was said to have risen to a level they could not cross due to the heavy downpour through the night.
The gunmen, it was gathered, successfully crossed the river to the community, but after their operation which lasted all through the night and inside the rain, returned only to meet the water level unbearable to cross.
“As I speak to you, they are now stranded at the river because they couldn’t cross. The water level has risen so high that they could not cross, so right now they are waiting for it to reduce before they can move with their victims”, our source said, adding that security agents have been mobilised to the area to rescue the victims.
The source, however, said “The Security people including local vigilantes are being careful, to avoid being ambushed by the gunmen in their usual way.”
Kuchi, a railway town in Munya local government, has remained one of the most tormented communities in the area by gunmen, forcing the people to relocate.
The plight of this predominant farming community was however compounded when security agents code named special hunters, withdrew their services after an attack on their camp in Galkogo, Shiroro local government area of the state, killing eight of them and seven local vigilantes.
Also the local vigilantes, local vigilantes have equally withdrawn their services over non-payment of their allowances by either the local government or state government.
Meanwhile, authorities have not issued any statement on the latest attack, as at the time of filing this report.
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