Residents of Rijau, the headquarters of Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State, are counting their losses a day after bandits invaded the town in broad daylight, rustling hundreds of cows and kidnapping no fewer than 20 people, including women.
The assailants killed six farmers and left several others with gunshot injuries during the Monday attack on the town, which lasted over two hours. The assault occurred just hours after the bandits had raided multiple communities in Mariga Local Government Area earlier in the day.
For the past three weeks, communities in Mariga and Rijau LGAs have been under relentless attacks by bandits. Locals reported that the assailants operated with impunity-terrorising villages, violating residents' dignity, and displacing countless people from their homes.
Daily Trust gathered that some shop owners whose stores were burgled, losing large sums of cash and food items, have been hospitalised due to high blood pressure resulting from the trauma of their losses.
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Residents also said they had not yet been contacted by the bandits regarding the kidnapped victims.
"When we first heard the gunshots, some people thought it was the police. But the shooting continued sporadically. We didn't expect that bandits would have the confidence to enter the town. They came around 1pm and didn't leave Rijau until about 3.30pm.
"There was no single soldier in Rijau at the time of the invasion, and the police at the Rijau division did not confront them. We don't know if we'll be able to recover our cows. Sadly, some of our people are still with the bandits. One of the shop owners, Barau, lost a lot, including cash and foodstuffs.
"Some individuals whose large sums of money were stolen are now hospitalised due to high blood pressure," a resident told Daily Trust.
He added that soldiers were only deployed to Rijau several hours after Monday's attack.
Another source said the fear among residents remains intense.
"We panic at every unusual sound. Today (Tuesday), people ran four times after hearing rumours that the bandits were returning.
"In the process, some residents had motorcycle accidents. One person even suffered a fractured leg. We are still living in fear, even though soldiers arrived last night," he said.
One of the internally displaced persons in Rijau who witnessed the attack, Dan-Isah, said each of the bandits carried a gun.
"Our village, Yinana, was attacked, and we fled to Rijau-only for Rijau to be attacked on Monday. Thank God we escaped again.
"I helped evacuate the injured after the attack. Our major challenge now is food. We are hungry, and our children are crying. We have not received any humanitarian assistance from anywhere," he said.
Also speaking, Saidu Alhaji Mamman, another IDP from Yinana, appealed to the government and well-to-do individuals for humanitarian aid.
A herder named Hamza said he had moved with his cattle to Rijau town after narrowly escaping a bandit attack.
"Many of my colleagues have lost their cattle to bandits. I barely escaped with mine. Bandits have been targeting us for a long time, but yesterday, they succeeded in rustling many cattle.
"As I speak, I can't take my cattle out to graze. Over 1,000 cattle were rustled during the attack on Rijau yesterday. I am afraid," he said.
One of the residents, Hassan Wakada, who was involved in a motorcycle accident while fleeing with his family, is currently receiving treatment at Yahuza Clinic in Rijau.
"I was fleeing with my family on a motorcycle when a lady, also fleeing, ran across my path. I fell off the bike and fractured my leg," he said.
Aisha Haruna, whose son sustained gunshot wounds, also shared her experience. She said her son was shot in the stomach by bandits while hiding.
Ismail Usman, aged 11, told Daily Trust from his hospital bed that he was shot by bandits at their village, Rata-Giwa, while fleeing from the attack on Monday.
Muhammad Adamu, also speaking from his hospital bed, recounted how he was shot in Gulbin-Tsayi before the Rijau attack.
"When they came, I was sitting at home. I panicked and tried to run, but they grabbed me and demanded money. I told them I didn't have any. They took my phone, and one of them struck my head with the butt of his gun.
"While I was pleading, one of them shot me in the thigh, and another shot me in the hand. I fell to the ground and they left," he narrated.
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Alhaji Nuradeen, another Rijau resident, sustained gunshot wounds on the thigh during Monday's attack on the town.
Halimatu Safiya was shot in the right breast during the attack and is being treated at Hamdala Clinic in Rijau. Efforts to speak with her were unsuccessful, as she was said to be unconscious.
One of her relatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were fleeing in a vehicle when bandits opened fire, killing one of the women and wounding Halimatu Safiya.
Abdulhakeen, one of the abductees who managed to escape, said those kidnapped were used to control the rustled cattle.
He said he escaped in Ragada village, Mariga LGA, after trekking several kilometres with the herd and other abductees.
Daily Trust also gathered that residents of communities such as Ragada, Kumbashi and others, who were attacked in the early hours of Monday, were still taking refuge in Gulbin-Boka.
Ayuba Ibrahim, a resident of Mariga LGA, said the affected communities had yet to see any security deployment.
"Those who fled their homes in Mariga LGA have begun returning, but they still cannot sleep with both eyes closed," he said.
