Niger community deserted 3 weeks after bandits’ attack

Yakila community in. Rafi local government area of Niger state has remained deserted three weeks after bandits attacked the village and whisk away the village head, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulhamid.

It was observed that many houses, shops and businesses were under lock as residents await the freedom of their leader.

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This was observed during the sympathy visit of the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello while on transit to the Bobi Grazing reserve in the local government on Monday.

It was gathered that some members of the community were said to have been relocated from the community to nearby communities for fear of further attacks.

During the invasion by the bandits three weeks ago, the District Head, APC Ward leader and a staff Nurse at Garin-gabas whose name was given as Halima and her two children were kidnapped and have remained in the custody of their captors since then.

During the Governor’s sympathy visit, he met a deserted and almost lifeless community as virtually all the shops were closed and business centres were under luck and key.

Most traders who used to display their wares along the road and other major streets in the area were completely absent.

Also, some residents of the community who managed to stay back in the community, locked themselves inside their houses opting to take a look at the governor from their windows.

It was learnt that the bandits only spoke to other leaders of the community once since the District Head was abducted about three weeks ago.

According to the leaders of the community, the bandits have not contacted them again, fueling fears that the kidnaped district Head may have been killed.

One of the community leaders, identified as Alhaji who briefed the Governor said “The last time they made contact with us was two weeks ago but they did not ask for anything”.

He added that there is apprehension in the community about the safety of the District head, saying that “right now we don’t know whether he has been killed”.

But our correspondent gathered from one of the community members who did not want his name mentioned that the bandits had demanded for a ransom of N4million.

Addressing some members of the community at the palace of the kidnapped district head, Governor Bello told them that the government has intelligence report that the bandits have informants among the people, adding that the report was reinforced by the fact that less than 24 hours after the kidnapped District Head held a meeting designed to set up a local security outfit for the community, the bandits struck.

Bello therefore urged the people that they should join hands with the government to secure their community insisting that security is everybody’s business.

The Governor assured the people that his “government is on top of the situation adding that very soon the bandits will be apprehended and brought to Justice.