No fewer than eight villages in Augie local government area of Kebbi State have been deserted due to attacks by bandit-terrorists.
According to reports, the villages are Zagi, Tungar-Rafi, Tungar-Tudu, Keke, Kwaido, Sabongarin Kwaido, Tungar-Chichira and Tattazai. Residents of the villages were said to have moved out in droves after bandits attacked Zagi on Wednesday night. The attack was said to have left three people dead, many injured and 15 others abducted.
The Village Head of Zagi, Muhammadu Lawwali-Sule, said the bandits stormed the village at about midnight. According to him the villagers collectively resisted the attackers but were overpowered by the bandits. The village head said those injured in the attack were in hospital and responding to treatment.
The State’s Police Commissioner, Ahmed Magaji-Kontagora, said additional security personnel had been mobilised to the area to support those already on ground. He assured that the bandits had been blocked by troops and prevented from gaining access to anywhere. Magaji-Kontagora advised the fleeing residents to go back to their respective villages and continue with their normal businesses. He assured them that their lives and property would be protected.
The Commissioner of Police appealed to the general public to be vigilant and security conscious, and support security agencies with credible intelligence to aid in tackling insecurity.
When contacted on phone, the Chairman of Augie local government area, Lawal Muhammad, said security had been beefed up around the villages and other areas, adding that an Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp had been established in the area.
