Bandits are growing bolder, showing high levels of insolence in Niger, Bago laments

•AIG Zone to head rescue of victims •Catholic bishops condemn attacks

Niger State Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago, has lamented that bandits are getting bolder and showing high levels of insolence.

The governor stated this in a condolence message to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, over the death of his brother, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf who was killed by bandits in his palace.

Yusuf was the Village Head of Gallah community in Borgu Local Government Area.

The attack came barely five days after the bandits abducted worshippers from mosques in Dekera community and surrounding villages in the same local government area.

The governor, in his condolence message, said, “the killing of the village head in his palace is the demonstration of boldness and high level of insolence by the bandits.”

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police(AIG), Zone 7, Victor Olaiya, had arrived in the state to coordinate the intensified rescue operation of the victims.

The government said the rescue of victims abducted remains its immediate priority, adding that all hands are on deck to ensure that the victims are rescued without any harm.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security, Maurice Magaji, gave the assurance while briefiing reporters on the government’s response to the incident, saying security agencies had commenced efforts to trace and rescue the victims.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has condemned the attacks, describing the incidents as an assault on lives and dignity.

The Bishops also demanded the release of more than 60 Muslim worshippers reportedly abducted from a mosque in Borgu, while urging security agencies to intensify intelligence-driven operations to prevent further attacks.

The CBCN made its position known in a statement yesterday and signed by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso.

The intervention came amid renewed concerns over insecurity across several parts of the country, with terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups continuing to target communities and places of worship.

The Bishops expressed sympathy with families of those killed in the Benue attack..

They also expressed solidarity with the Muslim community in Niger, praying for the safe return of the abducted worshippers and condemning the attack on the mosque.

Quoting Genesis 4:10, “The blood of your brother cries out to me from the ground,” the Bishops said no political, ethnic or religious cause could justify the killing or abduction of innocent people.

They stressed that an attack on a mosque, church, market or private residence was an attack on humanity and should attract a decisive response from the authorities.

The CBCN acknowledged efforts by the government and security agencies to tackle insecurity but warned political leaders and security chiefs against complacency.

The Bishops called for proactive and intelligence-led operations capable of identifying and dismantling criminal networks before they launch attacks.

They further demanded the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators and sponsors of violence, saying doing so was necessary to end the culture of impunity fueling insecurity.

The Bishops also warned bandits and kidnappers, urging them to abandon their criminal activities before facing the consequences of their actions.

Citing Galatians 6:7 — “God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” — the Catholic leaders warned that those responsible for the violence would ultimately face divine judgment.

The CBCN’s condemnation is significant against the backdrop of growing sectarian tensions and attempts by some actors to frame insecurity along religious and ethnic lines.

By expressing solidarity with victims regardless of their faith, the Bishops reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s position that the protection of human life should transcend religious, ethnic and political divisions.

The conference urged Nigerians to reject narratives that seek to divide communities and instead work collectively with government and security agencies to restore peace and protect vulnerable citizens.