Niger: Bandits kill four, rustle cattle in fresh attack on Borgu community...we're under siege LG C/man

By Johnson Arua

Bandits have again struck in Borgu Local Government Area, LGA, of Niger State, killing four villagers and rustling an unspecified number of cattle in a fresh overnight attack on a rural community.

The latest incident occurred at about 11:00 p.m. on Friday at Wawa, a community known for illegal mining activities that have reportedly continued unchecked for some time.

Residents were said to have been asleep when the attackers stormed the village, catching the victims completely unawares.

The attack comes barely one week after gunmen invaded Kasuwan Deji, another community in the same local government area, where no fewer than 42 persons were killed, heightening fears among residents over the worsening security situation.

A dependable source from the affected community told our correspondent that the attackers appeared to have a specific mission, as they reportedly went straight to their targets upon arrival.

According to the source, the assailants were heavily armed and acted with precision.

“The bandits were armed with sophisticated weapons and moved directly to the houses of their victims before rustling their cattle,” the source said. “The victims were known to own large numbers of cattle in the area, which made them the primary targets.”

The source further revealed that the attackers killed the victims in their homes and fled with the stolen cattle, which were allegedly driven towards the Kainji Lake National Park forest in the Borgu sector.

The Kainji Lake National Park has, in recent months, been identified by residents as a major hideout for bandits, where criminal elements are said to operate freely with little resistance.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Borgu Local Government Area, Abdullahi Nasiru, said the council was under siege and appealed for urgent assistance from security authorities.

He called for intensified security patrols around vulnerable communities and stressed the need to secure the national park, urging stronger collaboration among security agencies, park rangers, and local vigilante groups to protect lives and property in the area.