Niger: Bandits Demand N150m To Stop Attack On Papiri Community

Again, gunmen suspected to be bandits have allegedly written to the Papiri community in the Agwara local government area of Niger state, demanding N150 million or risk another deadly Attack.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the members of the community and other adjoining communities decided to abandon their homes following the letter received over the weekend.

At the Papiri community, St Mary Catholic school was attacked November 21st, last year and over 230 students, pupils and staff were abducted and later released for an undisclosed deal allegedly struck with them.

Sources at the village hinted that the members of the community, after receiving the letter, decided to relocate as they had attacked Babbanna, a border community with the Benin Republic, where immigration officers at the border were attacked, and their service guns were collected.

It was learnt that the bandits have threatened to attack Papiri after the attack on Babbanna in the Borgu local government area of the state.

A member of the community, Comrade Yusuf Danlami Kabir, said he has relocated to another safer community, saying, “especially now that we don’t have any security on the ground and they have killed all our vigilantes protecting us, we have no option but to move out of our community”.

When contacted, the Niger state Command Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Wasiu Abiodun, said: “We are not aware of any report of this. Nobody reported such a letter to the Police; however, we will verify and take appropriate action while tactical teams are still being maintained in the area and the situation is relatively calm”.