Once more, militants attack Niger and kidnap 63 villagers

Terrorists have taken 63 people from the villages of Durmin, Jarmiya, and Pandogari in the Rafi Local Government Area of the state of Niger.

This happened right after the Joint Security Task Force freed 13 hostages who had been kidnapped and kept captive in various sections of the state.

According to the information obtained, eight people were taken from Pandogari, 14 from Jarmiya, and 41 from Durmin.

Eight of the 14 people who were kidnapped in Jarmiya, according to a source in the Pandogari village, were freed after the terrorists were paid N6 million and two motorcycles as ransom.

The source added that in exchange for the release of the final six prisoners, the terrorists demanded N200,000 in recharge cards.

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While 33 other people are reportedly still being held captive, the terrorists at Durmin collected $8.5 million from the relatives of eight captives.

In a related event, the Gurara Local Government Area’s 13 kidnapped victims have been freed by the Joint Security Task Force in Niger State.

The victims were saved after a raid by the Security Task Force as part of its continuing security clearance operation against banditry, terrorism, and other violent crimes in the state, according to a statement from the state’s commissioner of internal security and humanitarian affairs, Emmanuel Umar.

The victims were taken from Maje Daji in the Federal Capital Territory through the Dobi Gwagwalada Area Council. The commissioner named them as Ramatu Usman, Jamila Jafaru, Fatima Usman, Hassana Usman, Salamatu Bio, Suleman Usman, Bayi Mohammed, and Awwalu Shagari.

Mansura Musa, Wasila Musa, Fauziya Musa, Nazifa Ibrahim, and others were taken hostage from the village of Gwalu using the Kafin-koro in Paikoro.

Umar says that the victims were taken to a government medical centre for exams and then sent back to their families.