By: Zagazola Makama
Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State was thrown into mourning on Tuesday as at least eight local hunters lost their lives in a deadly confrontation with armed bandits who stormed rural communities in a fresh wave of violence.
According to credible sources, the heavily armed bandits launched their assault on Hunyo/Sabon Wuri village in Dusai Mahoro District, rustling an unspecified number of cattle in the process. Their brazen incursion sent shockwaves across surrounding villages, leaving residents terrified and displaced.
The tragedy struck when the bandits, attempting to flee with the stolen livestock, were intercepted by a contingent of local hunters between Kakihum and Kumbashi villages. In what quickly escalated into a fierce gun battle, the hunters put up a valiant fight to protect their communities but were overpowered by the superior firepower of the criminals.
“In the ensuing exchange of fire, eight of the hunters were killed. Their names and identities are yet to be confirmed,” a security source disclosed.
Following distress calls, a combined team of Police Mobile Force operatives, divisional patrol teams, and local vigilantes led by the Divisional Police Officer of Bangi, swiftly mobilized to the scene. The bodies of the fallen hunters were later evacuated to the General Hospital in Bangi for autopsy and onward release to their families.
The attack adds to the growing spate of violent crimes plaguing Niger State, where rural communities have been under siege from marauding bandits engaging in mass abductions, cattle rustling, and deadly assaults.
Security operatives have intensified patrols across vulnerable corridors, while residents continue to call on both the state and federal governments to provide stronger military presence to curb the relentless onslaught.
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