Suspected local bandits have killed one person and kidnapped nine others in an attack on Palaita, a village near a military base in Erena, a garrison town hosting hundreds of displaced persons in Shiroro LGA, Niger state.
The terrorists rode on motorcycles into the village Sunday evening after attacking villages along the road to Palaita, multiple sources said, adding that villagers fled their homes to Erena as soldiers confronted the attackers in Palaita.
The terrorists kidnapped five men and four women, the sources said.
A resident of Erena, Hannatu Kabiru, who provided shelter for some displaced persons from Palaita, said the terrorists raided Kutako, Dnakpala and Gogala villages before moving to Palaita.
“They gathered people from those villages and beat them mercilessly. They only started firing shots when they got to Palaita, where they killed one person and kidnapped other people,” she said.
Ms Hannatu added that the terrorists also stole livestock like cattle, sheep and goats. Other residents and displaced persons this reporter spoke with on Monday corroborated her account. (Premium Times)