By Hosea Parah
A joint security team comprising personnel of the Nigerian military and the Nigeria Police Force has moved into a forest in Niger State to rescue farmers abducted by suspected bandits.
The spokesman for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this on Wednesday in a WhatsApp message, saying the operatives were combing Mukura village, Kasuwan-Garba District, in Mariga Local Government Area.
“Reports received on 28th Sept 2026 indicated that on 27th Sept 2026 at about 3pm, suspected bandits abducted over twenty persons at Mukura village, Kasuwan-Garba District of Mariga LGA. Joint security rescue efforts ongoing,” Abiodun stated.
It was learnt that the terrorists abducted more than 47 farmers in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State while they were harvesting groundnuts on their farms at Tungan Rimi in Ma’undu-Beri Ward of the LGA. Most of the abducted farmers were women, alongside a few men.
The Chairman of Mariga Local Government, Alhaji Aliyu Muhamadu, who confirmed the abduction on Tuesday in a chat, said the majority of the victims were women, alongside some men. He put the number of victims at more than 47 and disclosed that one of the women gave birth while in captivity.
Muhamadu also disclosed that the abductors had contacted some relatives of the victims and were demanding N2 million from each victim for their release.
“Yes, some of my people were abducted and they were in the farm harvesting groundnuts. Many of them are women and there were some men. One of the women gave birth in the abductors camp and the abductors are asking for N2 million from each victim,” he said.
The chairman also said he learnt that security personnel and some local vigilantes had been mobilised to rescue the victims.
“The joint security personnel and the vigilantes engaged the terrorists in a gun battle at Alibani village after passing through Kasuwan Garba and Biri, during which a vigilante sustained injuries,” Muhamadu said.
A source in Mariga LGA, who did not disclose his name, told PUNCH that he sighted the armed men moving through the areas between Mangoro and Wamba after emerging from the Dogon Dawa axis.
He said the terrorists moved into the Bariki Forest, also known as Ma’undu, where the victims are suspected to be held.