Terrorists Kill Nurse, 4 Farmers In Niger

Bala Allawa, a nurse working at the General Hospital, Kagara, the headquarters of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, and four other farmers have been killed by terrorists, Weekend Trust reports.

It was gathered that the attack occurred at about 4:30pm on Thursday when the terrorists launched an assault on Unguwan-Karu village along the Allawa–Pandogari road, where Bala had reportedly gone to fetch firewood after closing from work at the General Hospital, Kagara.

Checks by our correspondent showed that Bala, a father of eight and husband of two wives, has been living with his family in Pandogari as an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) after his community, Allawa, was deserted in 2024.

Residents, who spoke to Weekend Trust, explained that an unspecified number of people were also kidnapped during the attack.

Abdulhamid Tanko, his niece, who confirmed the report to our correspondent, said he was with his late uncle around 4pm before he left to get firewood for his two wives, adding that four other bodies were recovered from the bush close to where his uncle was killed.

“Honestly speaking, since last week Friday, the bandits have been moving around the axes of Pandogari, Kagara, Maikujeri and Tegina, there has not been peace. This is one week now. Nobody can move freely in those axes. In fact, these people have attempted to invade major communities in the area.

“I was with him up till 4pm on Thursday. After closing from work, he returned to Pandogari where we currently live as IDPs because for the past two years that our community, Allawa was deserted, we have lived as IDPs in Pandogari.

“So, it was around 4pm that he left home to get firewood for his wives. When we went bring his dead body, another three dead bodies were recovered closed to him,” he explained.

He added that bandits have converted Allawa community into their camp, where they keep kidnapped victims and collect ransom.

Bologi Ibrahim, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Umar Bago, who also confirmed the attack and the killing of the nurse in a statement on Friday, was silent on the four others reportedly killed and those abducted.

He said the governor sympathised with the management of the hospital and the family of the deceased, while describing the killing of Allawa as tragic and senseless.(daily trust)