Some unknown gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday night attacked and kidnapped no fewer than five people from Batatti, a community in the Lavus Local Government Area of Niger State.
Reacting to the disturbing event, Alh. Yahaya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, summoned district and village heads for an emergency meeting.
Naija News learnt that the bandits who kidnapped the five residents are currently demanding the sum of N50 million as ramsons.
It was gathered that the assailants stormed the community at about 8 pm on Friday, kidnapped their victims and left many with degrees of injuries, Further reports revealed that valuables including laptops and handsets were carted away by the bandits during the attack.
An eyewitness who spoke about the event to newsmen said the bandits about ten in number operated in the shop of one Kolade Olushola at Batatti and other shops by the major Bida-Mokwa road highway.
Among those that sustained injuries during the attack was one Zackaria who was at the shop to purchase a recharge card. The account also said the bandits arrived in Batatti in a white Hilux vehicle and perform congregational Ishai prayers with members of the community before shooting into the air.
The action of bandits, the account stated made shop owners, petty business hawkers run for their lives, leaving behind their wares and shops for safety. After several hours of causing havoc in Batati, they reportedly escaped the area through Gbangbagi community to the forest of Fazhi and Kutigi, the headquarters of the Lavun Local government.
Efforts to get confirmation from the State Police Public Relations Officer, PRO, SDP Wasiu Abiodun, proved abortive on the incident.
Meanwhile, not less than thirty-six people, including students of the College of Education in Katsina-Ala, have been killed in an attack by Fulani herdsmen.
According to reports, Shikaan Mbagena Kpav, a TIV community in Benue State was attacked in the early hours of Thursday. The incident has stirred reactions on social media as Nigerians condemned President Muhammadu Buhari for not acting.
The article was originally published on Nigeria News