Soldiers avert attack on Niger community

HURIWA alleges FG pampering bandits, demands remains of killed terrorists

Over 100 heavily-armed bandits attempted to attack Pandogari town in Rafi Local Council of Niger State, at the weekend, but were repelled by soldiers stationed in the town.

The Guardian gathered that the bandits, who rode on motorcycles, came from Zamfara State to kill and kidnap residents of the community.

A local vigilante official, who pleaded anonymity, revealed that the first target of the bandits was the military base in Pandogari. The soldiers were said to have engaged them in gun battle for several hours.

According to the source, 20 trucks from Kagara loaded with armed soldiers and another 10 from Birnin Gwari reinforced the team at Pandogari and forced the bandits to retreat.

The soldiers, The Guardian gathered, deployed rocket propelled grenades and other sophisticated weapons, which devastated the bandits and pushed them back into the forest.

The Niger police command could not be reached for comment on the incident before press time.
MEANWHILE, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of pampering and protecting terrorists attacking the Northern region of country.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleged that the use of kid gloves on the terrorists was because “they are of same ethnic Fulani and Muslims with the President and virtually all the heads of the security apparatus” under Buhari.

He said: “HURIWA, as well as millions of rational Nigerians, are not convinced that the armed forces headed by persons of same section of Nigeria and same religion are actually carrying out any military actions targeted at eradicating the terrorists in the North West.

“Few days ago, the newspapers reported that no fewer than 20 operatives of Nigeria security agencies were butchered in Shinkafi Local Council of Zamfara State and bodies set ablaze by the notorious bandits operating in the state,” he said.

HURIWA also challenged the military to display the remains of terrorists reportedly killed in the North as it does with its victims in the South, to prove that it was actually fighting terrorism.