Bandits kill Niger village head, four others

Suspected bandits have killed the village head of Galla in the Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, Ahmed Yusuf, and four other people in a fresh attack on the community.

The traditional ruler was reportedly killed in his palace, according to sources familiar with the incident.

The sources said the bandits killed four other residents and abducted an unspecified number of people.

The latest incident has heightened concerns over the security situation in Borgu, coming only days after suspected terrorists attacked several communities in the area.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the attackers stormed a mosque in Kpenya while Muslims were observing Juma’at prayers on Friday and abducted many worshippers.

Following the attack, the Niger State Government directed security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted worshippers and restore normalcy to the affected communities.

Why the monarch was targeted

Sources said the village head had previously warned suspected bandits to stay away from his community.

The warning was allegedly perceived by the criminals as an affront, prompting the attack on the traditional ruler.

The circumstances surrounding the reported killing could not, however, be independently verified.

The late traditional ruler was a retired army master warrant officer.

He was also the brother of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi.

He was also a cousin of the Director of Operations of the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Abdullahi Wara, who is the District Head of Lumma.

Borgu’s worsening security situation

The latest attack adds to a series of violent incidents reported in Borgu and communities around the Kainji Lake corridor in recent months.

In August, PREMIUM TIMES reported that nine bodies were recovered along the Wawa-Lumma road in Borgu after suspected bandits attacked travellers. Security forces later conducted operations in the area.

In June, suspected terrorists also attacked Pissa in Borgu, killing an unspecified number of residents, abducting others and setting houses ablaze. The attackers reportedly threatened neighbouring communities, including Kabe and Sukumba.

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PREMIUM TIMES had also reported in June that suspected bandits burnt the Central Primary School in Dekara despite allegedly collecting a N10 million protection levy from communities in the area. Residents said several communities in Borgu and neighbouring Agwara had been affected by repeated attacks, forcing some residents to flee their homes.

The situation has also attracted government attention.

Following last Friday’s attack on Gidan-Zana and Kpenya, the Niger State Government said security agencies had deployed a joint operation to assess the situation, track the attackers and facilitate the rescue of abducted worshippers.

Authorities yet to confirm latest attack

As of the time of filing this report, the Niger State Government, police and other security agencies had not issued an official statement confirming the reported killing of the Galla village head and the four other victims.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the identities of the other four victims or establish the circumstances surrounding their deaths.