Early Tuesday morning, a brutal attack took place in the Wayam and Belu-Belu villages in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. At least 10 farmers lost their lives, including a woman and a Chinese national. Shockingly, the attackers beheaded six of the victims and took their heads with them when they fled the scene.
The attack began around 5 am, during morning prayers, catching the community off guard. Many residents sustained injuries and were rushed to a clinic in Kagara, the main town in Rafi Local Government Area, for treatment.
Bala Tukur, a resident, recounted the horrific event, saying, “At Wayam village near Madaka, they killed 10 people and injured many. The way they attacked us is deeply traumatic. Everyone has run away from the area.”
The impact of the violence extends beyond lives lost; local farmers are now afraid to tend to their crops. Tukur explained that many farmers have not been able to harvest even half of their crops, such as maize, due to fear and ongoing threats.
Recently, in Kukoki village, locals had to pay N1.5 million to be allowed to harvest their crops, but their peace was short-lived as the bandits returned a few days later.
Farmers in Wushishi, Rafi, Shiroro, Mariga, and Kontagora areas have reported a surge in attacks during the harvesting season.
The violence did not stop there. On Friday, bandits stormed Zungeru in the Wushishi Local Government Area, breaking into homes and a hotel and kidnapping residents. A local witness described how, around midnight on Saturday, bandits abducted Saidu Yakubu, known as Abacha, and his wife from Zungeru town.
Niger State’s Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed, acknowledged the severity of the incidents, stating that all security forces have been mobilized to address the situation. Meanwhile, address the situation. Meanwhile, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, indicated that he would need more time to verify the details of the attack.
