Troops, police comb Niger forest for abducted farmers

A joint security operation made up of the Nigerian military and the Nigeria Police has moved into the Niger State forest to rescue abducted Farmers.

Spokesman of the state police command, Wasiu Abiodun, made this known on Wednesday in a WhatsApp message in which he said the operatives were combing Mukura village, Kasuwan-Garba District of Mariga Local Government Area.

“Reports received on 28th September 2026 indicated that on 27th September 2026 at about 3 pm, suspected bandits abducted over twenty persons at Mukura village, Kasuwan-Garba District of Mariga LGA. Joint security rescue efforts are ongoing,” Abiodun stated.

The PUNCH learnt that the terrorists abducted more than 47 farmers in Mariga LGA while they were harvesting groundnuts on their farms at Tungan Rimi in Ma’undu-Beri Ward of the LGA.

Most of the abducted farmers were women, with a few men.

Chairman of Mariga LGA, Alhaji Aliyu Muhamadu, who confirmed the abduction on Tuesday in a chat, said the majority of the abducted victims were females.

He put the figure of the victims at over 47 and disclosed that one of the women gave birth during the abduction.

Mohammed also disclosed that the abductors had made contact with some of the relatives of the victims and were demanding  N2m each for their release.

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“Yes, some of my people were abducted, and they were in the farm harvesting groundnuts. Many of them are women, and there were some men. One of the women gave birth in the abductors’ camp, and the abductors are asking for N2m for each victim,” he said.

The chairman also said he learnt that security personnel and some local vigilantes had been mobilised to rescue the victims.

“The joint security personnel and the vigilantes engaged the terrorists in a gun battle at Alibani village after passing through Kasuwan Garba and Biri, during which a vigilante sustained injuries,” Muhamadu said.

A source in Mariga LGA who did not disclose his name told The PUNCH that he sighted the armed men moving through the areas between Mangoro and Wamba after emerging from the Dogon Dawa axis.

He said the terrorists moved into the Bariki Forest, also known as Ma’undu, where the victims were suspected to be held.