Gunmen have launched a renewed onslaught on communities in Paikoro and Munya Local Government Areas of Niger State, killing a village head, a medical practitioner and abducting well over 60 people, including women and children.

The gunmen, numbering about 100, were said to have invaded the two neighbouring communities of Beni in Munya local government and Adunu in Paikoro local government in two different groups in the broad daylight at about 2 pm on Monday and raided from house to house, dispossessing the people of their money, other valuables and foodstuff.

At Beni, the group killed the village head, Alhaji Salihu Ahmed when they sighted him while on his way back from the farm and abducted about 20 people, mostly women and children.

Also at Adunu community, a medical practitioner, Joshua Bitrus was killed by the group that invaded the community when he attempted to escape into the bush on sighting the gunmen while over 40 people including women and children, and a retired police officer, Moses Tanko, aka Arada System, were taken away.

It was gathered from a source close to the communities that those who could afford between 10,000 to 20,000 cash regardless of either old or new naira notes were set free by the gunmen.

However, it was gathered that the gunmen after raiding the two communities, ran into an ambush by the Joint Security Task Force at Sarkin Pawa on their way to their hideout in Kaduna state and the resultant gun battle led to the killing of a member of the Joint Security Task Force and a local vigilante, while several others sustained various degree of injuries and are currently being treated at a government health facility in Minna, the state capital.

Two patrol vehicles belonging to the Joint Security Task Force were vandalised by the gunmen with the wind screams and tires shattered with bullets.

According to our source, an unspecified number of the gunmen who were moving in about 35 motorcycles, and in three groups were neutralised during the over one hour of fierce gun battle with the security Agents.

The state police command was yet to issue a statement on the latest attacks, but the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Hon Emmanuel Umar, when contacted said he was aware of the incident but was yet to get the details of the attacks and promised to issue a statement to that effect. (Daily Sun)

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