Niger: Ex-SUBEB Chairman, Electoral Commissioner kidnapped by bandits

Bandits in Niger State have kidnapped about 30 people, including a commissioner with the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), his driver, and a former Chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB).

According to reports, the armed bandits struck when the victims were travelling in separate vehicles when the incident occurred along the Zugurma–Ibbi Road near the Ibbi National Park, Borgu Local Government Area, on Monday evening.

The NSIEC Commissioner and the former NSUBEB chairman were reportedly on separate trips, while the other victims were passengers in three commercial buses.

Those who witnessed the abduction revealed that the assailants, numbering over 100, barricaded the highway while shooting sporadically into the air.

They subsequently whisked away the victims, making their way into the forest.

An eyewitness shared, “Before taking to the highway, the bandits first immobilised the policemen stationed at the entrance to the National Park.

“Farmers working nearby went into hiding during the gunfire. And when they came out, they saw the vehicles abandoned on the roadside.”

The kidnapping was confirmed by the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who added that the bandits destroyed two police patrol vehicles before abducting the victims.

“Men of the police tactical teams, in conjunction with other security agencies and vigilante members, are already trailing the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the abducted victims and possibly arrest the gunmen,” he stated.