Munya Local Government Area of Niger State has decried attacks by bandits in the area.
Niger state government has initiated the deployment of security personnel to tackle insecurity occasioned by the activities of bandits fleeing security onslaught in neighbouring Zamfara state.
The chairman of the local government council, Aliyu Dogo, told journalists yesterday that bandits from Zamfara have been terrorising villages situated along the Sarikin Pawa-Kaduna road.
“Following the development, we alerted the state government and they responded promptly by deploying security operatives comprises of military, police and vigilante to deal with the situation,” he stated.
He said at some points, the bandits resorted to kidnapping and demanding ransom.
He said the activities of the bandits had greatly affected the fortune of predominantly farming communities as many fled and abandoned their occupation, especially during the rainy season.
The Director of Works at the council, Mohammed Adamu, confirmed the security challenges, saying banditry thrived because certain elements in the affected communities served as informants to them.
The leader of the vigilante in Sariki Pawa, Saliah Mohammed, blamed the security challenge on porous borders of Kaduna, Zamfara and other neighbouring states.
Mohammed said the joint efforts of the security agencies had reduced bandits operations in Munya and its environs .
However, the village head of Sarikin Pawa, Musa Mohammed, called on the state government to maintain permanent security presence in the area as there was the likelihood that bandits would return if they noticed that the operatives had left.
