Two policemen have been killed after gunmen attacked Kasasu village in Erena ward of Shiroro local government area.
The gunmen also raided 12 communities in Gurmana, Manta, Erena and Bassa/Kukoki Wards in the local government area.
The gunmen on Friday launched an attack in Erena ward and killed the policemen, who tried to protect engineers of the Shiroro hydro Electricity dam on routine maintenance work of power facilities along with Kauore village, which shares a border with Birin Gwari in Kaduna state from being kidnapped or killed.
A source, who spoke to newsmen, disclosed the policemen ran into the gunmen who outnumbered them and engaged in a shootout.
He added one of the gunmen was killed during the shootout with the policemen.
The two deceased policemen include one Inspector and a corporal.
In a related development, 12 communities in Gurmana, Manta, Erena and Bassa/Kukoki Wards were jointly raided by armed bandits.
The affected villages include among others: Rumache Madalla, Palalli, Maganda, Sarkin Zama, Kokki, Shekadna, Karibo, Magami, Gungu, Kashuwa and Karandauji Villages.
The Co-convener Concerned Shiroro Youths, Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki told The Nation the communities were stormed in the night by gunmen in their large numbers despite the heavy rainfall.
Kokki said the gunmen, who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, shot sporadically into the air.
He added that the villagers have taken to the bush in a bid to escape the gunmen.
โSacking villages at will by criminals who have become our regular visitors have been a recurring decimal and unfortunately, these repeated attacks have been happening without the slightest resistance, confrontation and even counterattack from the authorities concerned,โ he said.
Kokki added that in Kashuwa and Karandauji Villages under Erena Ward, Shiroro local government area, the gunmen carted away many herds of cattle and farm produce stored by the people.
When contacted, the Niger state Police Public Relation, ASP Wasiu Abiodun said two policemen were missing after an encounter with some armed bandits at Kusasu Village in Shiroro local government area, adding there was no certainty that they are dead.
He said that a search party have been dispatched to the village with a view to rescuing the two missing officers saying that the police are also on the trail of the gunmen.
