Niger residents flee to Benin Republic as bandits storm Borgu again

Scores of terrified residents in their thousands Tuesday fled the flashpoints of persistent and sporadic invasions by terrorists in Borgu and Agwara local councils of Niger State, seeking refuge in the Benin Republic, a situation worsening the country’s deepening security and humanitarian challenges, which have seen more than 3.7 million Nigerians internally displaced.

This is even as terrorists again invaded one of the communities in Borgu barely 24 hours after the Governors of Niger and Kwara states, Mohammed Umaru Bago and Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, met in Minna on Monday to assess the security situation in the border towns of the two states.

The terrorists, numbering over 200, riding on about 70 motorcycles, in the early hours of Tuesday, stormed the Konkoso community for the second time within one week.

According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen set more houses ablaze in Konkoso before moving to Segbana, another village where they wreaked havoc. There has been no report on casualties. Segbana is said to be a border town between the Benin Republic and Nigeria in Kebbi State.

While details of the attack remained sketchy as at press time, with the State Police Command yet to react to the latest development, villagers, who have been thrown into panic, particularly with the absence of security operatives on the ground, are already deserting the area in droves.

The police outposts in the areas were last week burnt by terrorists, resulting in operatives fleeing the communities, while the terrorists have now set up base in Konkoso town.

It was gathered that residents of Konkoso communities fled in thousands to Segbana, a town in Benin Republic sharing a border with Niger and Kebbi states.

Fleeing villagers claim that the terrorists have established a base in Konkoso after an onslaught of over five days on the communities, during which more than 50 people were confirmed to have been killed.

A villager who spoke on condition of anonymity said over 200 terrorists returned to Konkoso communities on Tuesday morning with about 70 motorcycles, andburnt down the remaining houses that were not set ablaze during their first operation last week.

It would be recalled that the terrorists invaded the Niger communities on Thursday night (February 12), wreaking havoc till Saturday, during which they operated without restraint from security personnel. It was gathered that several houses, including a police station, have been burnt down by the ravaging terrorists in the past few days.

The activities of the terrorists have increased lately despite the arrival of United States soldiers who are currently in the Northern part of the country strategising on how best to collaborate with Nigerian troops to stem the tide of terrorism and all forms of insecurity.

Already, the Senate has condemned the killing of 56 Nigerians and the abduction of women and children in Konkoso village, describing the attack as brutal and unacceptable. The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by the senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, during an emergency sitting of the Senate on Tuesday.