Community under siege in Niger, bandits occupy nearby forest

Residents of a community in Niger State were on Tuesday thrown into panic as bandits had occupied the surrounding forests and were set to launch an attack.

The community, Beri, in Mariga Local Government Area, Niger State, was feared to be under siege when there was alert that bandits had occupied the surrounding forests and were prepared to invade the community from their camps in the forest.

The alert culminated in immediate mobilization of the local vigilante group, including the police who patrolled the express road to Kontagora, in preparation to forestall any attack by the bandits.

The entire community spent the day in fear, some residents were making arrangements to flee their ancestral homes before the arrival of the bandits. The security operatives and vigilante groups on red alert brought the situation under control.