Armed bandits launched a violent early-morning attack on the Agwara community in Niger State, burning down the local police station and part of a church before abducting around five residents in what police describe as a coordinated assault.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the raid began at about 3:40 a.m. on Sunday when the assailants stormed the Agwara Divisional Police Station.
“The armed bandits invaded Agwara Police Station where they were engaged by the tactical team on ground but later overpowered the team and used suspected dynamite to set the station ablaze,” Abiodun said in a statement.
After setting the police facility on fire, the attackers moved to the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the town and burned part of the church building. Police added that as they spread through other parts of the community, they kidnapped about five people whose identities were not yet known at the time of reporting.
“The situation is being monitored, and further developments will be communicated in due course,” Abiodun said, adding that security agencies have begun investigations and deeper efforts to find the culprits and rescue the victims.
Eyewitness reports and social media videos showed charred remains of both the police station and church after the bandits withdrew, leaving residents in fear and forcing many families to flee their homes into surrounding bushes for safety.
The latest attack comes amid heightened insecurity in the region. Agwara and nearby communities have experienced repeated violent incidents in recent months, including the mass abduction of school pupils and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Papiri area, which drew national and international concern before the captives were eventually freed.
Security officials have urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with authorities, while military and police units continue to intensify patrols and search operations in surrounding forests and routes commonly used by armed groups.
