Armed bandits struck communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Wednesday, abducting 24 residents and maiming a blind man in separate attacks.
In Palaita community, Erena Ward, the attackers raided locals working in a rice farm around 2:00 p.m., whisking away 24 people, including pregnant women. Despite the community being only five kilometers from a military camp in Erena, the victims were taken before soldiers could respond, a source close to the community said.
Earlier in the day, in Kakuru community, also in Erena Ward, a blind man had his right hand severed by another group of bandits. The attack occurred at around 8:00 a.m. while the man was at home. According to sources, he tried to explain that the mobile phone the bandits demanded did not belong to him, but the assailants seized the phone and cut off his hand. He is currently receiving treatment from a local medicine shop owner in Kuduru community.
Confirming the latest abduction, the Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said, “On November 26, 2025, at about 8:00 p.m., reports indicated that suspected armed men abducted about ten persons from Angwan-Kawo and Kuchipa villages of Shiroro Local Government Area. Efforts are being made to rescue the victims.”
The incidents underscore the persistent insecurity in rural communities of Niger State and the urgent need for coordinated security interventions.