Banditry: 1,600 persons still in IDPs camps in Niger LGA

Over 1,600 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, are still languishing in different camps in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State alone.

This follows the incessant invasion of communities in the local government by bandits.

Because of the huge population, they are being camped in some selected camps in the council.

Chairman of the council, Alhaji Suleiman Chikuba, who disclosed this to journalists in Minna, Niger State capital, yesterday, said many of the displaced persons have also relocated from their ancestral homes to other communities to take refuge.

According to him, “Over 500 IDPs are living in Kuta camp while over 1,000 from Kawure community are in Gwada camp.

At first, Kawure community, which was taking care of many displaced people in Shiroro council has been overrun by the Boko Haram and this has forced the people to migrate to safer grounds.”

He commended the state government for waging war against the bandits, just as he called on the governor not to relent in his efforts to bring total peace to the area.

Chikuba disclosed that the state government has deployed a lot of security personnel to the area to restore peace to the various communities, adding that the council was also collaborating with Vigilante in the area to restore normalcy to the various villages affected.

Out of the 25 local government areas in the state, 18 have totally been taken over by bandits, who are still raiding most villages in the affected councils of the state unabated.

Credit: Vanguard