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The Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has ruled out any negotiation or ransom payment to bandits, declaring that the state has reached a tipping point where citizens must take responsibility for defending their communities.
Mr Bago made the declaration during a visit to Rijau and Magama local government areas after bandits attacked communities in the Kontagora axis, killing several people and displacing many others.
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“The state has reached a point where the people must stand up and defend themselves,” the governor said. “I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. Paying ransom only turns kidnapping into a business.”
Describing the worsening security situation as “a state of war,” Mr Bago announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) to reinforce security operations and restore peace in affected areas.
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In a statement issued by his media aide, Aisha Wakaso, the governor also banned all mining activities in Zone C, which covers the Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara Local Government Areas.
“Illegal mining has become one of the major drivers of insecurity,” Mr Bago said. “It is suspicious that miners can freely access forest areas, yet bandits do not attack them. I have directed the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone found engaging in mining activities.”
The governor described the recurring attacks and displacement of residents as “embarrassing and unacceptable,” assuring the affected communities of government intervention, including compensation for victims’ families, medical care for the injured and economic relief for displaced persons.
Mr Bago reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to restoring peace and security across Niger State, insisting that the protection of lives and property remains his top priority.
Governor Bago’s tough stance comes amid a surge of violent attacks in Zone C, the northwestern belt of Niger State that borders Kebbi and Zamfara States, where banditry and kidnapping have continued unabated.
On 16 October, in Magama LGA, bandits ambushed a commercial vehicle conveying six passengers from Kontagora to Yauri, Kebbi State, at Anaba village along the Kontagora–Yauri road, and abducted all the passengers.
The attackers also raided nearby Libale, Iteri, and Isana villages, kidnapping residents, burning vehicles and rustling cattle. One person sustained gunshot injuries.
On 11 September, bandits blocked the Kontagora–Tegina highway near Tudun Fulani, opening fire on travellers. Two passengers, including a Rijau magistrate, Benjamin Zakari, sustained gunshot wounds while the driver escaped.
On 28 August, more than 1,000 armed gunmen attacked the Wushishi/Akere axis of the Zungeru–Kontagora corridor in Mashegu LGA, killing two people, including a vigilante member, and abducting several others. The attackers also blocked highways and disrupted movement.
In another incident, reports indicated that over 200 armed bandits on motorcycles took over major movement routes linking Rijau, Mariga and Kontagora, rustling cattle in broad daylight and halting vehicular traffic for hours.
In response, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) conducted airstrikes on a convoy of bandits transporting stolen cattle through Ragada, Yabawa, Bazana, Awallah, Dankolo and Kumbashi, neutralising several insurgents and forcing others to flee.
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Earlier in the year, bandits attacked Garin Gabas and Kundu in Rafi LGA, abducting scores of residents, while in Ya-Bawa and Maburya (Mariga LGA), six farmers were killed and over 20 persons kidnapped.
In June, about 20 soldiers were killed when gunmen ambushed a military base around Kwanan Dutse in Mariga LGA, one of the deadliest attacks in the state.
These repeated assaults underscore the escalating violence across Niger State’s northwestern corridor and provide context for Governor Bago’s uncompromising position on negotiations with bandits and his sweeping crackdown on mining activities.
