At least 10 farmers, including women and a Chinese national, were brutally killed by armed bandits in the Wayam and Belu-Belu villages of Rafi Local Government Area, Niger State. The gruesome attack occurred early Tuesday morning around 5 a.m., during the sacred time of morning prayers, leaving the community in deep trauma.
Local reports reveal that six of the victims were beheaded, and the attackers took their heads, heightening the sense of horror. Many injured residents were rushed to a clinic in Kagara, the headquarters of Rafi LGA, as families mourn their loved ones.
Eyewitness Bala Tukur recounted the tragedy, stating, “They mercilessly killed 10 people and injured many. The trauma is beyond words; everyone has fled the village.” According to Tukur, the assault has made it nearly impossible for locals to harvest their crops, with many unable to gather even 50 percent of their maize yield.
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The violence comes amid a spike in attacks as farmers across Niger State’s Wushishi, Rafi, Shiroro, Mariga, and Kontagora LGAs enter the critical harvest season. Recently, villagers in Kukoki were forced to pay N1.5 million to bandits just to harvest their crops, only for the criminals to return days later.
On Friday night, Zungeru town in Wushishi LGA faced a terrifying invasion. The bandits moved house-to-house, even raiding a hotel and abducting residents, including prominent local Saidu Yakubu (popularly known as Abacha) and his wife.
Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed, acknowledged the tragic situation, assuring the public that “all security stakeholders have been mobilized” to address the rising violence.
