
Following news of a recent military offensive in the Shiroro Local Government Area where MI 171 Airforce Helicopter crashed, bandits causing unrest in the jungles of Niger State are allegedly departing the state to find shelter elsewhere.
According to information gathered by Sunday Telegraph, the bandits have started releasing some of the people who have been held captive in their camps.
Some of the farmers who were kidnapped around Kaffin Korro, Munya, and some areas of Shiroro roughly five months ago have reportedly been freed.
In response to the recent crash of a military helicopter related to the Gide Dogo robbers gang, it has been speculated that the bandits are relocating to adjacent states in anticipation of the onslaught.
The bandits were no longer coming out brazenly to operate as they had in previous weeks, according to a source from the towns around the Shiroro axis where they had been in charge for the previous three weeks.
This event follows the Niger State Police Command’s denial that a known bandit had ever declared himself governor of the state.
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No bandit had declared himself governor, contrary to reports in the mainstream and social media, the police command stated in a statement released by its spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun.
He said; “The command wishes to state categorically with all sense of responsibility that such publication is false in its entirety, and it only exists in the figment of the imagination of the author.
“The joint security teams in the state in collaboration with the state government are working assiduously to address the security challenges at hand, while tactical teams are placed at strategic locations within the volatile areas for security coverage.”
He called for calm and advised members of the public to ignore the publication, as it was an attempt by mischief makers to cause panic.