Hundreds of people have reportedly been kidnapped from Shadadi town in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State after gunmen invaded the village killing 8 and leaving 4 injured.
A source who spoke with BBC Hausa said more than 1, 000 gunmen attacked the town on Wednesday and perpetrated the act.
The attack comes just days after Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello confirmed the activity of Boko Haram militants in the state.
The worst place affected by the latest attack is Shadadi town under Mariga Local Government Area where eyewitnesses said thousands of residents have fled the town after the incident.
According to the man who asked not to be named, almost all the villagers fled to neighbouring towns such as Kontagora.
The Niger State Commissioner for Information, Sani Idris, confirmed the attack but said the number of people allegedly abducted was less than 100.
He said they were currently compiling statistics of the number of people affected by the attack and had already sought the Federal Government’s cooperation.
There is no confirmation yet whether the attackers were Boko Haram members or bandits.
Wednesday’s attack comes at a time of heightened security tensions in Niger since the state government confirmed that Boko Haram had entered the town.
The security situation in Nigeria has been compounded by the growing fears of insecurity among Nigerians, especially in rural areas.
Security experts have expressed poor leadership of the government in handling the security issue. but the government says it is doing its best to address security concerns in the country.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
