Gunmen kidnap traditional ruler, APC youth leader, others in Niger

Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, have kidnapped the District Head of Yakila village, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulhamid, and the Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress in Garin Gabbas, both in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident took place on Thursday morning when the bandits raided the two adjoining communities in the district simultaneously.

The gunmen also kidnapped a staff nurse at Garin-Gabas, whose name was given as Halima. Her two children were also taken along with the other victims, according to Channels Television.

The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Ahmed Inga, confirmed the incident.

According to him, several members of the communities are still missing, making it difficult to ascertain the number of other persons who might have been abducted by the bandits.

“We are still gathering details on the attacks. We will keep you updated,” Inga said.

The latest attack comes barely a week after the palace of the village head of Pangu in the Gunna district of the same Local Government Area was set ablaze by bandits.

Also burnt during that raid was a rural hospital built and donated to the community by the World Bank, including several houses and freshly harvested agricultural produce.