…The bandits came in numbers. They went straight to their victims and killed them in their homes.
NIGER, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Niger State has once more been thrown into mourning following a fresh bandits attack in Borgu Local Government Area, where four people were killed in Damala community, barely a week after 42 residents were slaughtered in Kasuwan Deji.
The assault reportedly took place around 11 p.m. on Friday, when the largely Kambari community was asleep. A resident, who spoke to our correspondent, said Damala lies just a few kilometres from Woko (Wawa), a mining site operated by an unidentified individual.
According to preliminary findings, the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the village under the cover of darkness and deliberately targeted their victims before rustling cattle. The victims were herders in the area and were said to have been singled out by the assailants, who escaped with hundreds of cattle after killing them.
“The bandits came in large numbers. They went straight to their targets and killed them in their homes. It was a clearly planned and targeted attack,” the source said, adding that all the stolen cattle were driven towards the Kainji Lake National Park forest in the Borgu axis that same night.
It was further learnt that the gunmen retreated into the Kainji Lake National Park, a difficult terrain notorious for limited access and often exploited by criminals as a hideout.
The latest attack has once again highlighted the persistent security threats facing rural communities and mining corridors within Borgu Local Government Area, particularly those located near forests and protected areas.
Communities bordering the national park have remained vulnerable to repeated attacks by bandits and other armed groups who take advantage of weak security presence in the area.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Borgu Local Government Area, Mallam Abdullahi Mohammed Nasiru, said the council is under siege from terrorists and appealed for urgent intervention.
He called for intensified security patrols in affected communities and stressed the need to secure the Kainji Lake National Park, which he described as a growing safe haven for criminal elements.
