[News] Police confirm abduction of village head and three others in Niger state

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of the village head of Dugge in Rijau Local Government Area of the State, Alhaji Abdullahi B. Zaure and three others.

It was gathered that bandits invaded communities in the local government, abducted many people and rustled cattle last week.

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, May 15, 2023, said the bandits kidnapped the village head and nine others but when the military fighter jet engaged them, four abductees escaped.

“Niger State Police Command wishes to clarify that on 10/05/2023 at about 1200hrs, suspected armed bandits attacked suburb villages of Rijau District in Rijau LGA of Niger State,” the statement read.

“The attack occurred at the outskirts of Shambo village, Genu, Tungan-Bunu, Jamaare, and Sabongari-Ushe villages of Rijau LGA.

“During the attack, the village head of Dugge Alh. Abdullahi B. Zaure was abducted while three others were injured, and they were taken to Tungan-Magajiya General Hospital for treatment.

“Unfortunately, about nine other persons were abducted along with the village head by the hoodlums at different locations in the course of their movements.

“However, it is noteworthy to state that military fighter jet, along with joint security forces responded to the incident, engaged the bandits which led the hoodlums into disarray and scampered for their lives.

“In the course of this, four victims escaped from the bandits and were rescued afterwards, and sixty cattle were recovered while the hoodlums escaped with other victims through Rijau-Warari-K’gora road and crossed through Kotonkoro-Bena road to Sangeko area of Zamfara State.

“Therefore, forty-nine persons were not abducted as speculated in some publications, and effort is ongoing to rescue the victims in captivity.

“The Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command CP Ogundele J. Ayodeji, psc(+) urges Nigerlites to be calm as the Police and other security agencies are working assiduously to rescue the victims.”

Below are photos of villagers fleeing after the attack in Rijau LGA