Armed bandits kill scores, burn villages, rustle 200 cattle in Niger state rampage

Terror returned to Munya Local Government Area of Niger State on Tuesday as over 100 armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on several communities, killing scores of villagers, abducting dozens, looting food supplies, and rustling more than 200 cattle.

The devastating assault affected communities including Zagzaga, Chibani, and Kuchi, where residents were forced to flee into the surrounding forests for safety as the heavily armed gunmen unleashed destruction.

Eyewitnesses from the region reported that the attackers moved from village to village, shooting indiscriminately, setting homes ablaze, and carting away livestock and food supplies.

The Joint Security Task Force (JSTF) camp stationed in Kuchi was reportedly overrun and torched, with security personnel fleeing under heavy gunfire.

“They came in their numbers—over a hundred of them,” a resident who fled from Zagzaga told journalists.

“They shot people in front of their homes, stole all the food, and burned everything. We are completely helpless.”

Sources within the community allege that the assailants gathered at Kusasu in neighboring Shiroro Local Government Area—a known hideout near the border with Munya—before launching the widespread assault.

The modus operandi mirrors previous attacks, suggesting an escalating pattern of organized terror in the region. Residents claim that the attackers seemed well-prepared, operating with tactical precision and overwhelming firepower.

In what appears to be a major blow to state security efforts, the attackers managed to overrun the JSTF base in Kuchi, further underlining the operational challenge security forces face in rural conflict zones.

A senior local source, speaking under anonymity, described the JSTF’s retreat as a “tactical withdrawal” after being outgunned. “The bandits outnumbered and outgunned the task force,” the source said. “It was either retreat or suffer heavy casualties.”

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Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maj-Gen. Bello Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd), confirmed the attacks but said detailed reports were still being compiled.

“Yes, we have received preliminary information on the attack in Munya LGA,” he said.

“But we are still awaiting a full situational report to understand the extent of the damage and casualties.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan Vatsa, Special Adviser to Governor Mohammed Bago on Communication, Media and Strategy, condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling it “barbaric, wicked, and inhumane.”

“These enemies of the people have continued to carry out relentless attacks on innocent villagers,” Vatsa lamented.

“Their activities have been greatly aided by local informants, who have frustrated ongoing security operations.”

He emphasized that the involvement of local collaborators remains a key challenge, undermining both federal and state government efforts to restore peace in the region.

Efforts to reach the Chairman of Munya Local Government, Hon. Aminu Najume, was unsuccessful, as he could not be contacted at the time of filing this report.

Residents say the lack of immediate response or coordinated evacuation left them vulnerable as the attacks spread.

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This latest wave of violence adds to a growing security crisis in Niger State, particularly in the border communities between Munya, Shiroro, and Rafi local governments, which have become hotbeds for bandit activity.

Civic groups and local leaders have repeatedly called for heightened military presence and the deployment of aerial surveillance to curb the mobility and operations of bandits who often strike at will and vanish into the forests.

“We are tired of mourning,” said a community elder in Chibani.

“Every week brings new burials, and the people are losing hope in the government’s ability to protect them.”

Security experts argue that without sustained military action, better intelligence gathering, and robust local engagement, these attacks will persist, further destabilizing rural Niger State and worsening humanitarian conditions.

As the nation battles multiple security challenges—from terrorism in the North-East to secessionist tensions in the South-East—the rural heartlands of Niger State are fast becoming another frontline in Nigeria’s protracted war against insecurity.

For now, residents of Munya continue to count their losses, with many still searching for loved ones unaccounted for in the aftermath of the deadly raid.