Twenty -six persons have been confirmed killed after armed men suspected to be bandits attacked Tungan Makeri and Nkpaso communities in Konkoso ward of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The assailants, said to be over 200 in number, reportedly stormed the communities in the early hours of Saturday, killing residents, razing houses and setting a police station ablaze.
Sources said seven of the victims were singled out and executed during the raid.
The attackers were said to have first invaded Nkpaso community, moving from house to house before carrying out the killings.
Residents disclosed that the gunmen later extended the assault to Tungan Makeri, where several houses were set on fire and shops looted as villagers fled into nearby bushes and neighbouring communities for safety.
During the attack, the gunmen reportedly burnt down the police station in Konkoso after officers on duty fled the facility.
There was no immediate confirmation on whether arms or ammunition were taken from the station.
Read also:
- Bandits kill 30, burn market, abduct scores in Niger community
- Bandits escape with AK-47 as Army raids hideout in Plateau
- Air strike neutralises 23 bandits fleeing from Kano attacks
The latest assault is occurring barely a week after political and traditional leaders in Borgu kingdom appealed to the federal government to establish a military base in the area to curb incessant attacks by armed groups.
A community source alleged that the attackers referenced the recent appeal during the raid, warning residents against seeking government intervention.
“They told the people that the government cannot protect them and that they are wasting their time seeking help. They said the people should find a way of making peace with them instead,” the source said.
The source added that the attackers described the killings as a warning and threatened further assaults on the communities.
