Armed bandits have abducted the Chief Iman of Beni central mosque, Mallam Umar Mohammed and 20 others in Munya local government area of Niger state.
The latest attack occurred four days after bandits killed an Army Captain and three others in an ambush.
Sources said that the bandits, who were up to 50, were said to have invaded Beni Community in Munya local government and Kudami in Paikoro local government in the early hour of Wednesday.
They were said to have met stiff resistance in Kudami but they had a field day in Beni where they looted shops, houses and kidnapped the Chief Imam on his way for a naming ceremony.
The invasion also led to the death of four others while several others were severely injured.
They are said to be receiving treatment at the Kafin Koro general hospital.
The District Head of Beni, Alhaji Jafaru Umar Sarki confirmed the recent attacks in a telephone interview.
He said that the invasion of the community by the bandits is the second in three days.
“They came three days ago and stole over 200 cows from Fulani Men, and this morning (Wednesday), they came again in their numbers. As I speak to you now they are busy looting shops and moving from house to house and collecting people’s property.
“So far, four people have been killed, they shot another boy in the head and we don’t know if he will survive. They are so many in number, I cannot count them and they are all with guns.
“The unfortunate thing is that we informed the security agents about it after the first attack but up till now nobody came to our rescue. This community is under siege at the moment and we are helpless,” he lamented.
