Terrorists kill, burn church, police station in Niger

80 kidnapped victims ‘escape’ in Kaduna

TERRORISTS have attacked Agwara Local Council of Niger State, killing one person and setting ablaze the United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA) and the police station in the community.

Confirming the attack, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said armed bandits invaded the community and attacked the police station, where they were engaged by a tactical team on the ground.

According to him, the attackers later overpowered the team and “used suspected dynamite to set the station ablaze.”
He added that the terrorists subsequently moved to the UMCA church in the community, where they burnt part of the building, before proceeding to other areas and abducting about five persons whose identities have yet to be ascertained.

Abiodun said monitoring of the situation was ongoing and that “further development will be communicated.”
Reacting to the incident, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, appealed to the Federal Government, the Nigerian Army, and relevant security agencies to immediately establish a permanent military formation in Agwara to curb the recurring attacks in the area.

Also reacting, Murtala Dantoro, son of the late Emir of Borgu, Haliru Dantoro, lamented that repeated terrorist attacks had turned once-peaceful communities into zones of fear and uncertainty.

ALSO, about 80 kidnapped church worshippers, who were among the 166 abducted during a Sunday Service at Kurmin Wali in Kajuru council area of Kaduna State a fortnight ago, have escaped from the bandits’ den and reunited with their families.

Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, disclosed this in an interview yesterday.
He pointed out that although about 177 worshippers were initially believed to have been kidnapped during the attack, 80 were later confirmed to have escaped and sought refuge in nearby communities.

The village head, however, stated that 86 worshippers are still being held in captivity by the bandits.
When contacted, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the police would release a comprehensive report on the incident.