A member of the House of Representatives, Engineer Abdurrahman Bala Gambo, has confirmed that hundreds of residents from Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State fled to neighbouring Benin Republic following fresh bandit attacks on their communities.

Gambo, who represents Borgu and surrounding areas, told BBC Hausa that the attackers invaded Konkoso town and forced residents to flee.

“They entered Konkoso and chased people away, but they did not kill anyone because the residents had already fled the town,” he said.

According to him, many of the displaced residents crossed into Benin Republic because they have relatives there.

“Most of the people ran to Benin Republic since many of them have family ties there. The bandits returned to the town, and when they saw that nobody was left, they set it on fire,” the lawmaker added.

Reports indicate that the latest attacks targeted villages in Borgu and Agwara local government areas, where several houses were burnt down.

The violence has left many residents without shelter and means of livelihood, forcing them to seek refuge across the border.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that when the attackers first arrived, villagers fled in fear, abandoning their belongings, including food supplies and clothing.

“When they came back and found no one in the town, they burned everything. Those who escaped to Benin Republic are now relatively safe because the government there is fighting the bandits,” the witness said.