No fewer than six persons have been reportedly killed after heavily armed bandits attacked Tungan-Makeri and later razed a police facility in nearby Konkoso, both in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Residents said the assault on Tungan-Makeri began around 8pm on Friday when a large group of gunmen stormed the community, firing shots indiscriminately and setting homes ablaze.
According to locals, the attackers operated for several hours, leaving at least six people dead while many others fled to neighbouring villages for safety.
An eyewitness from Zagatina village, located along the route taken by the assailants, said he saw numerous motorcycles conveying the armed men.
“They passed through my village in large numbers. I counted about 41 motorcycles, with two or three persons on each. I even noticed women and children among them,” he said.
The witness added that he hid in the bush behind his house upon realising the convoy was approaching.
After the raid on Tungan-Makeri, the gunmen were said to have advanced to Konkoso in the early hours of Wednesday, where they allegedly operated unchallenged.
During the attack on the town, the assailants reportedly set a police station on fire, worsening tension across the area.
Residents described both Tungan-Makeri and Konkoso as prominent communities within Borgu LGA, expressing concern over what they termed the growing audacity of criminal elements in the axis.
Some villagers also claimed that an aircraft believed to belong to the Nigerian Air Force was sighted hovering around Tungan-Makeri shortly after the initial attack, a development they said may have prompted the gunmen to retreat.
Attempts to get official confirmation from the Niger State Police Command proved abortive as calls and messages were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
The latest incident has renewed anxiety over security in parts of Borgu, with residents urging authorities to deploy additional security personnel to forestall further attacks.