Niger: Bandits kill 3 travelers, abduct two farmers

Suspected bandits have killed three people in an attack on the Bangi-Kotonkoro road in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State. The incident occurred on Sunday morning around 9:00 am when the gunmen blocked the road and opened fire on passing vehicles.

Alhaji Shehu Kotonkoro, whose car was involved in the attack, said the victims included his driver, a young girl, and a man identified as Alhaji Ibrahim, who were traveling to the market. The attack happened about 5 km from Kotonkoro village.

After the killings, the bandits abducted two farmers who were working on their rice fields nearby. Due to the increasing insecurity, students from the area have been asked to return home for their safety.

The chairman of Mariga Local Government, Alhaji Abbas Musa Kasuwa-Garba, confirmed the incident, expressing sympathy for the victims’ families. He attributed the frequent bandit attacks to the council’s shared borders with Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna states, stating that the assailants often enter through the Birnin Gwari axis in Kaduna before retreating to their camps.