Insecurity: 600 villagers dislodged, farmlands forcefully collected by gunmen in Niger communities

The Niger State Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has revealed that a total of 600 villagers were dislodged from their villages in Shiroro Local Government in an attack by bandits last Thursday in the state.

The affected communities include Lanta, Tunga, Dnakau and Juweedna villages of Erena in Shiroro LG.

The ministry in a statement signed by its director of media and strategy Habibu Wushishi, said the terrorists currently use the villagers to work on their farmlands which they from them siezed without pay.

Wushishi stated, “Niger State has received yet another shocking and painful incidence of banditry attacks in Lanta, Tunga, Dnakau and Juweedna villages of Erena in Shiroro local government area.

“The attacks occurred on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at about 5:36pm, and many cattle and sheep were rustled, but no case of kidnapping was reported. However, many of the houses in Lanta village were burnt down by the bandits.”

The ministry, while decrying the space of attacks, said about 600 displaced persons from the villages are presently in Erena and Kuta IDPs camps being profiled.

It was gathered that the gunmen are presently operating like the dreaded Boko Haram sect in a lot of villages, just as they are using Kaure and Kwaki communities deserted by the inhabitants, as their operational bases.