Bandits killed 220 residents in 17 Days in Niger – Governor, Bello

Niger’s Governor, Abubakar Bello, has said that bandits have killed not less than 220 people in the state in just 17 days.

Gunmen have been attacking localities around the state in recent weeks, killing and kidnapping citizens. As a result, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the military to respond vehemently against the attacks.

Bello told state house correspondents on Tuesday that he was in Abuja to provide Buhari an update on the security situation in Niger, after meeting with him at the presidential villa.

He said the victims comprised 165 civilians, 25 security personnel, and 30 local vigilantes.

The governor said the bandits move from one state to another and that only a robust deployment of modern technology will curb their activities.

He added that clearance operations against the bandits should be handled simultaneously so that they can be flushed out at once.