Terrorists take over rural Nigerian road, kill many, kidnap others

One of the vehicles set on fire by the insurgents / PREMIUM TIMES.

Since Sunday evening, suspected members of the Boko Haram have taken over Pandogari-Allawa road in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, killing and kidnapping locals, especially women and children.

The terrorists, around 05:00 p.m. on Sunday, waylaid a convoy of seven goods-laden vehicles heading to Allawa from Pandogari, a town in Kagara, the capital of Rafi LGA.

They killed six locals and kidnapped many women and children before setting three vehicles ablaze, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

The other four vehicles narrowly escaped — two to Allawa and the remaining to Pandogari.

Tension as more terrorists infiltrate the axis

More terrorists riding on motorcycles have been infiltrating the forest surrounding Allawa and other villages since the Sunday attack, residents who saw them around Polwaya said

“There are reports that the terrorists riding on more than 60 motorcycles are trooping into our community through Polwaya,” Sadi Allawa, a resident, told PREMIUM TIMES.

“There is tension, people are afraid to walk to areas about two kilometres from the town,” he said.

Yahuza Agumi, a Quranic teacher in Allawa, said the community is tense, adding that some people are still missing.

“We don’t know their fate,” he said. “We don’t know whether they have been killed or kidnapped.”