At least 20 farmers, including four pregnant women and several children, have been abducted in a brazen attack by armed bandits while working in their fields, leaving the local community in shock and fear.
Eyewitnesses described the incident as sudden and terrifying, with the attackers swiftly overwhelming the victims before vanishing into the surrounding bush.
“One of my nephews was taken along with others,” a resident who preferred to remain anonymous said. “The farm is just 500 meters from Erena town, yet no one could stop them.”
On Thursday, it was gathered that the abduction occurred in Unguwan-Kawo, Erena Ward of Shiroro Local Government Area in Niger State yesterday around 4 p.m., as farmers were harvesting rice.
Moreover, the proximity of the farm to a nearby military camp has raised questions about security in the area and the lack of troops responding to emergencies as required.
Furthermore, The Guild reports that this latest attack follows closely on the heels of another mass kidnapping, in which over 300 students and staff were abducted from St. Mary Secondary and Primary School in Papiri, Agwara LGA, highlighting a growing wave of insecurity in the state.
Meanwhile, when called for comment on the farmers’ abduction, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the report was being verified, saying we are currently investigating and will provide updates as soon as possible.
As of now, community leaders are urging the authorities to step up patrols and enhance security measures, warning that repeated attacks are undermining local farming and livelihoods in the region.
