Gunmen kill two, set houses ablaze in Niger community attack

Gunmen reportedly killed two persons and set several houses on fire in Pissa village, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, on Saturday.

Sani Pissa, a resident whose entire house was set ablaze, told the Peoples Gazette that the gunmen who invaded the community on Saturday shot sporadically and shouted “Allahu Akbar,” meaning Allah is great.

“Almost all the houses in the village were set on fire. So far, we have recovered two bodies killed by the gunmen,” he said, adding that one was a vigilante and the other a civilian.

Details of the kidnapped victims and death figures are still sketchy as of press time, but sources said residents had fled their homes to escape death or being kidnapped.

The gunmen reportedly invaded the village early Saturday, between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., setting properties, including farm products, on fire.

“When the gunmen entered, the vigilantes hid as they outnumbered them. The houses began to catch fire. I lost my entire house, including farm properties, to fire caused by the gunmen,” Mr Pissa told The Gazette.

Another source, Abdulmajeed Muhammed, also told The Gazette that many houses were burnt down in the community.

“The details are that houses were burnt and lives were lost. For now, I can’t ascertain the number of lives that were lost,” he said.

When contacted, the Commissioner of Homeland Security, Maurice Bello Magaji, said security operatives were still investigating the attack.

“We need to do our findings. We are just about to commence with it. Let’s be patient,” he said to The Gazette via a telephone call.