By Aytomide Otitoju
Residents of Tungan-Makeri and Konkoso in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State are counting their losses after suspected bandits launched a deadly attack that left six persons dead and a police station destroyed.
The coordinated assault reportedly began late Friday night in Tungan-Makeri, where heavily armed men stormed the community, shooting sporadically and setting several houses ablaze. Eyewitnesses said the attackers, estimated to be over 200, operated for hours, forcing residents to flee to neighbouring villages.
A resident of Zagatina village, located along the attackers’ route, said he saw dozens of motorcycles transporting the assailants.
“I counted about 41 motorcycles, each carrying two or three persons. Some even had women and children with them. When I realised they were approaching, I quickly hid in the bush as they passed behind my house,” he said.
By the end of the raid on Tungan-Makeri, six persons had reportedly been killed, several houses razed, and many families displaced.
The attackers were said to have advanced to nearby Konkoso in the early hours of Saturday, where they allegedly set a police station on fire, destroying property and escalating tension across the district.
Residents described the invasion as brazen, citing the absence of visible security presence during the attack. Some also reported sighting a Nigerian Air Force aircraft around Tungan-Makeri after the initial assault, attributing the bandits’ eventual withdrawal to aerial surveillance.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the command received reports that at about 3:00 a.m., suspected bandits invaded Tungan-Makeri via the Shafachi district in Borgu LGA.
According to him, six persons were killed, houses were set ablaze, and an unspecified number of residents were abducted. He added that the assailants later moved towards Konkoso, while further details remained sketchy.
Abiodun said joint security teams have been deployed to the affected communities for assessment, while efforts to rescue the abducted victims and restore normalcy are ongoing.
The latest attack underscores persistent security challenges in parts of Borgu LGA, as residents call on the state government and security agencies to strengthen security presence in vulnerable communities to prevent further violence.
