No fewer than 13 individuals, including a mobile police officer and three local vigilantes, are feared dead following a deadly attack by armed bandits on Mongoro and nearby villages in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
The coordinated attack, which occurred on Tuesday evening, left several others injured and forced residents of Wamba, also in Mariga LGA, into panic as the community reportedly remained under siege late into Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses reported that over a hundred armed men stormed Mongoro, overwhelming the joint security forces composed of police personnel and vigilante groups. Among those killed were two farmers caught in the crossfire.
According to a local resident who requested anonymity for safety reasons, the security teams resisted the attack but were eventually overpowered due to insufficient ammunition. “They fought bravely, but the bandits came in large numbers with superior weapons. The vigilantes did all they could, but they need urgent support,” he said.
Another source noted that at least 13 fatalities were recorded, while many others sustained gunshot wounds. The attackers reportedly damaged a telecommunications mast, leaving the area without mobile network coverage.
The latest violence comes just weeks after a deadly ambush on a military base at Kwanan-Dutse, also in Mariga LGA, where 17 soldiers were killed and 10 others injured. That base, located near the local government headquarters in Bangi, was overrun by armed assailants on June 24.
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Confirming Tuesday’s incident, the Chairman of Mariga Local Government Area, Abbas Adamu Kasuwan-Garba, acknowledged the severity of the attack but said full casualty figures were still being compiled. He also expressed concern over escalating violence in the region.
The Niger State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the development but said, “Details are still sketchy as investigations are ongoing.”
Due to the increasing attacks, farmers in Rijau and Mariga LGAs are now abandoning their farmlands for safety. Many have relocated to urban centres like Rijau town, leaving behind their means of livelihood.
“People are terrified. With these frequent attacks, it’s no longer safe to remain in the villages or go to the farms,” said Ibrahim Ayuba, a resident.
Meanwhile, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has called for collective action to address the worsening security situation. During a visit by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, the monarch urged collaboration between traditional institutions and law enforcement agencies.
“There is an urgent need to unite and reassess our approach to security. Only through cooperation can we overcome these challenges,” he stated.
Commissioner Elleman said the visit was part of efforts to deepen coordination between the police, communities, and traditional authorities in combating insecurity.
In a related development, security analyst Auwal Bala Durumin Iya has urged the federal and state governments to consider establishing a Forest Marshal Unit to monitor criminal activity in Nigeria’s forests. He also advocated for arming trained local security personnel with better equipment.
“Security operatives, especially vigilantes and forest marshals, should be given advanced weapons and proper training. We must stop politicizing security issues and start investing in professional solutions,” he said.
Durumin Iya also called for the creation of an Intelligence Research Centre to support real-time decision-making by security agencies and recommended appointing qualified professionals to lead Nigeria’s security institutions.
