How Bandits Abducted 40 Farmers In Niger

Facts are emerging on how bandits abducted 40 farmers, including a large-scale groundnut and Guinea corn farmer in Mukura village near Kasuwa Garba in Mariga local area of Niger state, demanding over N100 million from their families.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the bandits targeted the large-scale farmer but ended up abducting others around his farm located along the border of Niger state and Zamfara state.

One of those who narrowly escaped the abduction, Bala Aliyu Mohammed, told LEADERSHIP that the bandits came with about 20 motorcycles and left carrying 2 abductees on each motorcycle.

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He said, “We were working on a guinea corn farm when we saw them going to one of the biggest groundnut farmers’ farms adjacent and took many of the people around the area away.

A vigilante from the area, Kabir Umar, who spoke to LEADERSHIP on the phone, said when they picked the farmers, they took the route towards the boundary between Niger and Zamfara, where we suspected they had a camp where they kept their victims.

He said they made attempts to track them, but they lost them along the way into the forest, adding that they had reported the incident to security operatives for collaborative operations

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed that “On 28 September 2026, a report received indicated that on 27 September 2026 at about 3pm, suspected bandits abducted over twenty persons at Mukura village, Kasuwan-Garba District of Mariga local government area.

He said the police and other security agencies have launched Joint security rescue efforts, which are ongoing.