10 bandits gangrape woman, slaughter man in Niger village

A total 10 bandits gangraped a woman in Durumi, one of the communities caught up in renewed bandit attacks in Shiroro and Rafi local government areas of Niger state.

Head of Durumi village, Muhammadu Abubakar, says the victim is hospitalised in a hospital in the headquarters of Rafi, after she fainted while being raped.

He himself fled to Lafene Primary School, Kagara which served as temprorary camp, with his family and other survivors.

He said the bandits slaughtered a young man like an “animal” during one of the raids, describing the act as sad and inhuman.

“It was a sad and black day for us to see a human being slaughtering another, while women are raped and brutalized,” he lamented.

He urged the state and federal government to do something about the vast forest along Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara borders where the bandits hide before launching thier attacks on communities.

Meanwhile, more camps have been opened in Tegina and Kusherki as the number of the internally displaced persons swell.

One of the women from Kusherki community was said to have put to bed early hours of Thursday at the Lafene Primary School where some IDPs were sheltered.

Daily Trust also reports that the protest started by the youths in Kagara town on Wednesday, against the spate of violence in the two local government areas has spread to Tegina, a major junction on the Trunk A highway linking Kaduna-Birinin Gwari to the Southwest.

The protesters mostly women and children accused governments of failing to address the security challenges in their respective communities.

They say for the past four days after they were sacked from their homes by bandits, they have been living under harsh condition without any serious attention from the state government.

However, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has condemned the renewed armed banditry attacks.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs. Mary Noel Berje, the Governor expressed concern over the unfortunate attacks adding that the security operatives have been mandated to carry out a comprehensive manhunt on the criminals.

He appeal to the military to utilise the vast forest along the state’s boarder with Kaduna and Kebbi states by either establishing a formation or a training camp  to checkmate their activities.