Terrorists Kill One, Burn Church, Police Station In Niger Community

Suspected terrorists have attacked Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, killing one person and setting ablaze the United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA) and the police station in the community.

Confirming the attack, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said armed bandits invaded Agwara community and attacked the police station, where they were engaged by a tactical team on the ground.

According to him, the attackers later overpowered the team and “used suspected dynamite to set the station ablaze.”

He added that the terrorists subsequently moved to the UMCA church in the community, where they burnt part of the building, before proceeding to other areas and abducting about five persons whose identities have yet to be ascertained.

Abiodun said monitoring of the situation was ongoing and that “further development will be communicated.”

READ ALSO: Troops Kill Top Boko Haram/ISWAP Commander Abu Khalid In Sambisa Forest

Reacting to the incident, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, appealed to the Federal Government, the Nigerian Army, and relevant security agencies to immediately establish a permanent military formation in Agwara to curb the recurring attacks in the area.

Also reacting, Murtala Dantoro, son of the late Emir of Borgu, Haliru Dantoro, lamented that repeated terrorist attacks had turned once-peaceful communities into zones of fear and uncertainty.

He said, “Innocent lives are being lost, farmers have abandoned their farmlands, economic activities have paralyzed, and families are forced to flee their ancestry homes in search of safety.”

According to Dantoro, the prevailing security vacuum has emboldened criminals who now operate with little or no resistance, thereby worsening the humanitarian and economic situation in the affected communities.