Suspected bandits behead Kogi court worker, kill four in Niger

A court worker, Suleiman Abdulkareem, has been beheaded on his farm in Bagana, in the Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The incident reportedly happened in the early hours of Monday.

It was gathered that Abdulkareem, a security guard with Upper Area Court in the town, was attacked by the assailants on his farm.

Residents said the deceased went to harvest some farm produce when he was killed, adding that by the time local vigilantes got to the scene, the hoodlums had fled.

Bagana, a village of over 20,000 inhabitants, situated on the bank of River Benue and about 15 kilometres away from Abejukolo, the headquarters of Omala LGA of Kogi State, has been many times attacked by bandits and herdsmen.

More than 300 deaths had been reportedly recorded, with many villages razed.

The Divisional Police Officer of the local government, DSP John Ogbebor, confirmed the death, adding that the police had launched a manhunt for the killers.

He also said a Fulani herder who attacked and cut off the limb of another farmer at Iyade in Abejukolo, had been arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lokoja.

In a related development, bandits struck in Daja and Mangun villages, in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State, killing four persons.

A member of the gang was also killed.

It was gathered that the bandits, who were riding on motorcycles, carried AK-47 rifles and invaded Daja Market on Monday.

Our correspondent learnt that the hoodlums, who were acting on a tip-off, stormed the village market and went straight to the resident of a local produce merchant identified as Baira, and dispossessed him of his valuables.

The bandits later invaded the market and shot continuously to scare away the villagers before embarking on a looting of their personal belongings.

A source said two people were killed by the bandits, as they moved towards Mangun viilage in Mashegu.

However, residents of Mangun, who got wind of the attack on Daja, reportedly mobilised their vigilantes to confront the bandits.

Two of the vigilantes were said to have been killed, as the residents also gunned down a bandit.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Igna, confirmed the incident.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached at the time of filing this report.