IDPs in Niger raise alarm over strange aircrafts, seek help

Forum 3 years ago

IDPs in Niger raise alarm over strange aircrafts, seek help

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in four camps in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state have raised alarm over the presence of strange aircraft flying over the camps before bandits’ attacks and have called on the state government to intervene,

According to the Director of Social Development in Shiroro Local Government, Musan Adullahi, a strange aircraft recently dropped three bombs targeted at innocent persons that killed cows and injured many at Kuta.

He however, decried the targeting of innocent people rather than the bandits and is therefore, calling for an investigation into the presence of the strange aircraft in their communities before attacks occur.

The affected IDP camps include Gijiwa, Layi, Kwaki- Sokumba, Zumba and Erena located in the village of the local government chairman which has become inaccessible due to the operations of bandits.

According to Hussaini Mohammed a resident of the area in an interview, there is no accurate statistics of the number of IDPs in the four camps because of the activities of bandits.

Mohammed emphasized that the IDPs were stranded in those camps as government officials were afraid og visiting the area for fear of been attacked by bandits.

Investigation revealed that bandits in those communities go from home to home attacking the villagers, leading to the number of displaced persons swelling drastically.

Mohammed warned that there will be hunger in the affected communities as their lands have been taken over by the bandits making farming impossible and called for the quick intervention security agencies to protect lives and properties in the area.

Governor Abubakar Sani- Bello of Niger state however, confirmed the series of attacks in a press statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs. Mary Berje.

Governor Bello said local militia, community vigilante groups and local hunters must collaborate with security agencies, in a renewed strategy to engage and completely chase away kidnappers, cattle rustlers and armed bandits in the communities.

He maintained that a radical approach had become necessary in order not to allow irresponsible miscreants continue to unleash terror on the people and subject communities to their whims and caprices