Bandits Kill 3 Persons In Niger

Armed men suspected to be bandits have killed three people along Bangi to Kotonkoro Road in Mariga local government area of Niger State.

An eyewitness account revealed yesterday that the incident occurred on Sunday when the armed men blocked the road, shooting randomly at moving vehicles.

A man who escaped the attack, Alhaji Shehu Kotonkoro, confirmed that his driver, a girl and another traveller identified as Alhaji Ibrahim were killed on their way to Kontokoro Market.

Shehu said the incident happened just about 5km from Kotonkoro, explaining that in the process, the bandits later abducted two rice farmers harvesting rice on their farm 2km from the town.

Similarly, the chairman, Mariga local government area of Niger State, Alhaji Abbas Musa Kasuwa- Garba, while confirming the incident, stated that three people were killed during the attack.

While sympathising with the families of the victims, he added that the activities of the bandits escalated because of the boundary of the local government area with Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna states through the Birinin Gwari axis.

He said the bandits always attack the communities in Niger State and return to their camps outside the state, especially Zamfara and Kaduna.