Bandits Staying In National Park To Attack Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, Benin Republic – Lawmaker

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Jafaru Mohammed Ali, has said bandits are currently using the National Park in Niger state as their harbour and base from where they attack Agwara, Borgu in Niger; Bagudo and Shanga in Kebbi state, Kaiama/Baruten in Kwara state and some neighbouring communities in the Benin Republic.

The lawmaker representing Borgu/Agwara federal constituency of Niger State, who made this statement while briefing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday, disclosed that most of the bandits are foreigners who cannot even speak Nigerian languages.

According to him, some of the bandits migrated from Zamfara and Katsina using Ibbi National Park as their link to enter Kaiama National Park and Kainji National Park as their destination.

Ali called on the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, to mobilise military personnel with modern weapons to mop up the National Park near Kainji Dam, which is currently under the control of bandits as their meeting point and establish a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Lumma, Audu Fari, Agwara and Mago.

He asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons to provide food and non-food items to the surviving victims and families of the deceased scattered across the federal constituency.

The lawmaker expressed grief over last Friday’s attack on St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, where 303 students, 12 teachers and a notable figure, Sarkin Samarin Agwara, were kidnapped in his constituency.

Ali recalled that earlier this month, during his routine condolence visit in my constituency, he was attacked by gunmen in their hundreds, which resulted in loss of lives and injuries to many innocent personnel at Agwara to Babanna in Borgu local government area of Niger state.

“Let me use this medium to appreciate the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army for their quick response and for providing a helicopter for evacuation from where we were trapped during the attack.

“Also note that notable public figures, such as the former SUBEB Chairman, Niger State; Niger State Electoral Commissioner and dozens of travellers who were kidnapped along the Mokwa to New-Bussa road and are still in captivity.

“On 2nd November, 2025, at Gidan Guga bordering Agwara and Borgu, three people were killed in a family compound while their father was injured and is currently in Usman DanFodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

“Many villages and towns that were displaced include Boyiya, Bakin Bara, to mention but a few; Aika, Kuka, Dekara, Kerenji, Saminaka and Audu Fari were thoroughly dominated by bandits.

“Worrisome situation: the bandits are currently using the National Park as their harbour and base from where they attack Agwara, Borgu in Niger State, Bagudo and Shanga in Kebbi State, Kaiama/Baruten in Kwara State and some neighbouring communities in the Benin Republic.

“Most of the bandits are foreigners who cannot even speak Nigerian languages. Some of them migrated from Zamfara and Katsina, using Ibbi National Park as their link to enter Kaiama National Park and Kainji National Park as their destination.

“About a month ago, the bandits had laid ambush and bombed four personnel between Babanna and Lumma, while the last two months witnessed recurring killings, kidnappings and displacement in the entire Federal Constituency, including the public one in the police station at Lumma where a leader of the Fulani clan was assassinated in broad daylight because he failed to compromise,” he added.