Gunmen raid Niger village, ‘kill 6, steal 700 cattle’

Six persons were killed in an attack by suspected cattle rustlers in Kukoki community in Shiroro local government area of Niger state.

Mark Jagaba, chairman of the council, disclosed this to NAN on Wednesday, saying the attack, which led to the injuries of some women and children, lasted for at least four hours.

He quoted members of the community as saying that the suspects were up to 50.

Jagaba said the cattle rustlers stole over 700 cattle and undisclosed number of goats and sheep before fleeing the community.

He said the attack came barely three weeks after nine people were killed in a similar incident in Kurebe and Kwaki Chukuba wards of Shiroro local government area.

He said normalcy had been restored in the area.

The chairman appealed to security agencies in the state to assist a vigilante group in the area to curtail cattle rustlers and indiscriminate killings of innocent lives.

Confirming the attack, Bala Elkana, police public relations officer, said two suspects had been arrested while efforts were on to apprehend the others.

He said the police had beefed up security within the community and its environs, while the anti-cattle rustling team is searching the forest through which the invaders escaped.