Gunmen kidnapped 20 bus passengers traveling along the Mariga-Kontagora link road, Niger State.
The Speaker of the Niger House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, confirmed the kidnapping, revealing that bandits had mounted a blockade and forcibly took the passengers into a nearby forest.
“This area has become a breeding camp for bandits,” Sarkin-Daji stated. “Families of victims even take ransom to the bandits there.” He further disclosed that the kidnapped passengers were taken to the same forest where previous abductees were held.
The Speaker emphasized that despite the military’s initial dismissal of an Assembly member’s warnings, bandits continued to terrorize the area. On October 31, they blocked the road between Baban-Lamba and Beri, abducting over 20 passengers and relocating them to the same forest.
Sarkin-Daji urged the military leadership to intensify efforts to rid the area of bandits. He appealed to the Federal Government and relevant authorities to acknowledge the residents’ struggles, saying, “The challenges faced by the residents must be understood and addressed.”
