Many people were feared dead when bandits yesterday morning invaded some communities in the Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State.
Some of those that died were said to have drowned in the River Kaduna while trying to escape from the bandits.
The bandits who were many were said to have started their operation at the Akeri Railway Station where they reportedly killed one person before extending their assault to the fish market.
It was learnt that many of the traders seeing the bandits ran into the river in a bid to escape.
“Unfortunately many of them could not swim and drowned in the river,” a witness said
It was gathered that unknown to some of the villagers another set of bandits were waiting at the other side of the river and as soon as those that swam to “safety” got to the river bank the bandits started shooting at them sporadically killing many of the villagers.
A member representing the Wushishi constituency in the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Bashir Lokogoma, confirmed that:” t “Yes there was an attack in Wushishi by bandits; there are casualties but I can’t say how many because I am not on the ground.”
Meanwhile,over one hundred children from Teggina community in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger state who were attending Islamiyya class at the, Salihu Tanko Islammiya schools have abducted by suspected armed bandits.
The armed bandits who were said to have first attacked some residents of the area forcing the busy Teggina road to become a ghost town as people deserted the area when the criminals who had arrived the area in motorcycles, in twos or threes armed with sophisticated weapons.
Witness account said that the armed men in broad day operated freely through late evening causing obstruction of vehicular movements as commuters and travellers abandon their vehicles and ran for dear life.
After some minutes operating and shooting sporadically into the air to scare away possible intruders along the highway, the armed bandits were said to have headed to one of the islamic schools and rounded-up the pupils and marched them into the nearby bush.
While the pupils were being marched into the bush by one group, the source said some of the pupils who were too young to walk the long distance into the unknown were left behind as the second group continue their operation along the highway.
The eye witnessed who would not want his names made public told our correspondent how the kidnappers with sophisticated weapons stormed the Salihu Tanko Islammiya school where lots of pupils whose parents sent to acquired Islamic knowledge and took them away.
The Director General of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Inga said he got information about how almost 200 students of the islamiyya class were abducted, adding that the state government is already taking action on the matter.
Also the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the incidents, adding that the Command has already mobilized all tactical teams to rescue the victims.
