No fewer than eight residents have been abducted by bandits in a fresh attack on Agwan Fulani in Kwakwashi community of Niger State.
The incident, it was gathered, happened around 1am on Tuesday.
It was further gathered that the bandits asked for the mobile phones of those abducted.
A resident of the area, Joseph Ake, said that the bandits fired gunshots throughout the operation.
He claimed that the bandits took nine residents with them, adding that one person escaped but got injured in the process.
He said, “The bandits came around 1am. That was when the sound of gunshots started renting the air. They did that till they left.
“The bandits took the manager of a hotel in the area and a guest and the lady with him.
“In a family, they took a brother and sister; they went from house to house and picked one each. They would either take the wife and leave behind the husband or they take the husband and leave behind the wife.
“They initially took nine people with them but one of them escaped. He got injured in the process and he is at the hospital receiving treatment. The rest are with them. Their families are waiting for them to be contacted.
“They specifically demanded the mobile phones of everyone they took with them.
“Policemen came after they left and looked round. They after some time came back and called a community meeting.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abiodun Wasiu, confirmed the incident but did not give details on the attack.
He added that tactical teams have been deployed for search and rescue operation.