Banditry: 151, 380 people displaced in two years in Niger State

At least over 151, 380 people, mostly peasant farmers, were displaced by the activities of bandits in the last two years in Niger State, the state government has said.

The Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, who addressed a press conference in Minna on Tuesday, said the state’s emergency agency compiled the figure.

However, Mr Matane said the figure could be higher as many displaced persons who took refuge with their relatives could not be captured in the displaced persons register.

He said although the state has two official permanent internally displaced persons camps, most of those registered were at temporary camps opened following incidents of attacks.

Mr Matane said the displaced persons were registered in 13 local government areas of the state, with Rafi council area neighbouring Zamfara and Kaduna topping the chart with 28,987 displaced persons.

In Shiroro Local Government Area, 27,678 persons were displaced in the last two years, while in Munya 19, 712 persons were displaced.

There were 11,678 in Paikoro, 22,754 in Mariga and were displaced 8,913 in Kontagora.

The register also has 998 in Magama, 8,907 in Mashegu, 2,010 in Wushishi and 5,809 in Rijau.

Mr Matane said the state has spent over N300 million on the displaced persons within the period, while individual donors and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs also expended millions of naira in support.