Five days after the abduction of more than 300 students from St. Mary Catholic Schools in Niger State, another disturbing incident has shaken the region — this time involving farmers in Shiroro Local Government Area.
On Wednesday, bandits kidnapped 20 farmers, including four pregnant women and several children, while they were harvesting rice in Unguwan-Kawo, Erena Ward. The attack occurred around 4 p.m., according to residents who spoke to Daily Trust.
A local resident, who declined to be named, revealed that his nephew was among those taken, noting that the farmland is barely 500 metres from Erena town, where a military base is located. The proximity has raised concerns about escalating insecurity despite the presence of security personnel in the area.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the authorities were still verifying the incident.
This latest abduction comes on the heels of a major attack in Papiri, Agwara LGA, where armed men invaded St. Mary Secondary and Primary Schools during school hours, taking away students, staff members, and teachers. Witnesses reported that the attackers arrived in large numbers, prompting panic as pupils and teachers fled in different directions.
Many victims were forced into waiting vehicles, while others were taken away on motorcycles, leading to widespread distress among parents who rushed to the school immediately after the incident.
In a small relief, school authorities confirmed on Sunday that at least 50 of the abducted individuals had returned, though many others remain unaccounted for.
The back-to-back incidents have intensified calls for stronger security intervention across vulnerable communities in Niger State, especially as abductions continue to disrupt daily life and agricultural activities.