Garam, a border town between Niger state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was again attacked by bandits killing one and kidnapping nine others.
Tuesday’s attack was the fourth in a series of raids carried out by bandits in the community within a month.
Multiple sources told this paper that on Monday afternoon, bandits in their numbers invaded the town riding more than 40 motorcycles, asking the residents the road to Jere, a community along Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
An eyewitness said the bandits brandishing AK 47, swords and arrows, downing military camouflage, while some put on combat trousers and mask their faces in an apparent display of force spent several minutes in the community, while residents took to their heels in fear.
The source said: “On Monday afternoon, bandits numbering more than 100 came into Garam in broad daylight on bikes. The bikes were more than 40 and three bandits were on each bike. They openly display AK 47, they also have arrows and swords. Most people run for their lives because they are not sure what will happen next.”
Another eyewitness said she saw people running when the bandits came with their bikes.
“I saw people running when the bandits arrived. I also pipped where I was hiding and I saw some of them using scarves to cover their faces, while some used masks. Some of them wear combat trousers.”
It was further gathered that about an hour after the bandits left the two, soldiers of 102 battalion came and later left.
However, on Tuesday night, the bandits mo ed from house to house to kidnap people.
Another eyewitness said: “The bandits started attacking around 10:30p.m. They started burgling shops, especially the shops where those Hausa boys were sleeping. They later entered a house close to ours, forced the gate open, broke the windows and removed the burglary, but none of the occupants slept at home.
“Since the last track on January 2, most people have stopped sleeping at home. They come in the morning, and leave at night. But after two weeks of relative peace, some people decided to return the same day the bandits strike again.”
Also, a resident whose house was attacked said they were just saved by the grace of God.
“They attempted to break into our compound around 12:30. We don’t even know what to do. While they continued hitting the padlock we used to lock the gate, we were motionless and okayed dead. We just kept praying silently because there was no one to help. The soldiers were nowhere to be found when they were most needed. They later left our gate before going to the Hausa settlement where they kidnapped scores of people.”
It was also gathered that the bandits while unleashing their terror speared no one, especially after making their way to the Hausa community.
The bandits who were said to be speaking Fulfulde were shooting sporadically during the operation.
Another resident said, “In the morning, my neighbours who are Fulani interpreted what the bandits said in Fulfulde to me when they came at night. They bandits said, “we must not allow these animals (kidnapped victims) to escape.”
“One Nupe woman, whose husband is a driver, was kidnapped alongside her two children. But because the woman has chronic ulcer and she had been sick for some time now was later abandoned by the bandits on the way. They tied the woman and the two children to the tree. It was herders that saw them in the bush that set them free and also alerted the soldiers who brought them back.”
Another resident who pleaded anonymity said while the bandits were unleashing terror on people, the soldiers of 102 battalion whose duty was to secure the area despite receiving the distress call as early as 11 p.m arrived at 1:45a.m. They only flashed light and went back without making nay attempt to engage the bandits.
He said: “The soldiers arrived at 1:45 a.m, drove around and went back. They came back at 3:45a.m and left again when the bandits had successfully kidnapped and left. The residents were just left to face the horror with no help from the military authorities.”
