Farmers and residents in Rijau, Niger State, are counting heavy losses after a violent daylight attack by armed bandits left at least six people dead, dozens injured, and more than 20 others, including women, kidnapped.
The attack, which occurred on Monday and lasted over two hours, saw hundreds of cattle rustled and several shops looted.
Victims described the assault as one of the most brazen in recent weeks, coming just hours after bandits struck several villages in nearby Mariga Local Government Area.
For nearly a month, communities in Rijau and Mariga LGAs have faced unrelenting violence, with the attackers operating freely—displacing residents, looting properties, and causing widespread panic.
According to residents, there was no military presence during the attack, and local police failed to intervene.
Soldiers only arrived hours after the gunmen had left. “The bandits came around 1pm and didn’t leave until 3:30pm. There was no resistance.
People are devastated, and many of our loved ones are still in captivity,” a local said.
Some shop owners who lost goods and large sums of money have reportedly been hospitalized with high blood pressure due to the trauma.
One such victim, identified as Barau, suffered massive losses in cash and food items.
Fear still grips the town. “People are fleeing at the sound of any loud noise. On Tuesday alone, we had to run four times due to false alarms. Several people were injured while fleeing, including one man who fractured his leg in a motorcycle crash,” another resident said.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from surrounding villages now sheltering in Rijau say they have received no aid. One IDP, Dan-Isah, who escaped from Yinana village, described the ongoing hardship: “We have no food.
Our children are hungry and crying. I helped carry the wounded during the attack. We need help urgently.”
Saidu Alhaji Mamman, another displaced resident, appealed for humanitarian support from both the government and private individuals.
Hamza, a herder, told reporters he narrowly escaped with his livestock. “Over 1,000 cattle were taken during the Rijau attack. I’m now too afraid to graze my animals,” he said.
Victims of the attack are being treated at various clinics in Rijau. Among them is Hassan Wakada, who fractured his leg while fleeing with his family.
Others, like 11-year-old Ismail Usman and Muhammad Adamu, are recovering from gunshot wounds.
Adamu, recounting his ordeal, said he was attacked in Gulbin-Tsayi before the Rijau incident. “They came to my house and demanded money. When I said I had none, they beat me, shot me in the leg and hand, and left me bleeding,” he said.
Another resident, Alhaji Nuradeen, was shot in the thigh, while a woman identified as Halimatu Safiya was shot in the breast and remains unconscious at a local clinic.
As the community mourns its dead and searches for its missing, calls for urgent government intervention and improved security continue to grow.