Bandits abduct pregnant woman, three others in Niger

No fewer than four women, including a pregnant woman, have been abducted by suspected bandits following an overnight attack on Maikadauri village in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, an incident that also left one resident dead and properties looted and destroyed.

The attack reportedly began when the armed men stormed the community at night, firing sporadically as they moved through the village, creating panic among residents before whisking the four women away to an unknown destination.

During the raid, the gunmen were also said to have killed one resident, while a member of a local vigilante group identified as Amos sustained gunshot injuries while attempting to assist villagers under attack.

According to residents, the attackers operated for a considerable period before leaving the community with the abducted victims, leaving behind a trail of destruction and heightened fear among survivors.

Speaking on the incident on Wednesday, residents expressed frustration over what they described as repeated and worsening security attacks in the area, despite ongoing efforts by security agencies to curb violence.

One of the residents, Habibu Mohammed, called for urgent government intervention, warning that the frequency of such attacks had left many villagers living in constant fear and uncertainty.

“We need stronger security measures because these incidents have become too frequent. People can no longer go about their daily activities without fear,” he said.

Residents further alleged that no fewer than seven young men have been killed in the same community over the past 110 days, underscoring what they described as a sustained pattern of violence in the area.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Niger State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached and did not respond to a text message sent to his phone at the time of filing this report.