Bandits Burn Police Station, Church, Abduct Villagers in Fresh Niger Attack

ByMoses Alamu3 hours Ago1 Mins read26

Bandits have again attacked Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, setting ablaze the divisional police station and a church, while abducting about five villagers during an early Sunday raid.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday when the assailants overran the Agwara Divisional Police Station before moving to other parts of the community. This is the same area that witnessed the abduction of about 300 pupils, students, and teachers of St. Mary’s Catholic School last year, highlighting the persistent security challenges facing the region.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Niger State, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the bandits invaded the police station at about 3:40 a.m. He explained that operatives of a police tactical team engaged the attackers in a gun battle but were eventually overpowered by the bandits’ superior force.

According to Abiodun, the attackers used suspected dynamite to set the police station on fire before proceeding to the United Methodist Church in the area, where part of the building was also burnt. He added that after the arson attacks, the bandits moved into the community and abducted about five residents, whose identities were yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

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An eyewitness disclosed that the bandits arrived in the town around 2 a.m., parked their motorcycles several kilometres away, and trekked into the community. He said they first attacked the police station, forcing the few officers on duty to flee, before setting the facility ablaze. The attackers were also said to have gone from house to house, looting foodstuffs and other valuables.

Reverend Yakubu Yohanna of the United Methodist Church confirmed the attack on the church, noting that no lives were lost as worshippers fled after receiving information about the bandits’ movement. He said members of the church were still assessing the level of damage.

Police authorities stated that the situation is being closely monitored and that further updates would be provided.