Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Saturday, September 26, abducted 47 persons, most of them women, who had gone to harvest groundnuts and other produce at a community in Niger State.
The heavily-armed bandits carried out the abduction in Rimi village, via Kasuwan Garba community, Mariga Local Government Area of the state and sources said they were taken towards the Bariki (Ma’undu) forest.
According to information gathered, the villagers were on their way to their farmlands to harvest groundnuts and as well as other farm produce. They went together due to the instruction during peace deals with some bandits that all farmers should go to farms in groups.
However, as the farmers were on their way to harvest their produce, another group of bandits waylaid and abducted them.
Sources in the know of the incident disclosed that as of the time of this report, no contact had been established with the village regarding payment of ransom for their freedom.
In another positive development, troops of Sector 2 operating under Operation FANSAN YAMMA on Saturday foiled a kidnapping attempt and rescued six members of the same family in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The troops moved in after receiving reports of an ongoing attack and engaged the armed terrorists, forcing them to flee and abandon the victims.
The six family members have been taken to a safe location for care before being reunited with their relatives.
