A member representing Borgu/Agwara Federal Constituency of Niger State in the House of Representatives has revealed that bandits terrorising Niger State have turned Kanji National Park to their operational base where they launch attacks.

The lawmaker, Hon. Jafaru Ali made this known during the plenary Wednesday while moving a motion pursuant to Order 8, Rule 5, Standing Orders on the urgent need to address frequent banditry attacks, rampant killings and kidnapping in Niger State.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker recalled that on 21st of November, 2025, gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State and kidnapped 303 students, 12 teachers and a notable figure, Sarkin Samarin Agwara.

He added that 50 out of the 303 students escaped and are reunited with their parents.

Ali noted that on 4th November, 2025, during his routine condolence visit in his constituency, he was attacked by armed gunmen in their hundreds which resulted in loss of lives and injuries to many innocent personnel at Agwara to Babanna in Borgu Local Government, Niger State.

The lawmaker said notable public figures, such as former SUBEB Chairman, Niger State; Niger State Electoral Commissioner and dozens of travellers who were kidnapped along Mokwa to New-Bussa road and are still in captivity.

Ali further recalled that on 2nd November, 2025 at Gidan Guga bordering Agwara and Borgu, three people were killed in a family compound, while their father was injured and currently in Usman DanFodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

He added that many villages and towns that were displaced include Boyiya, Bakin Bara to mention but a few; Aika, Kuka, Dekara, Kerenji, Saminaka and Audu Fari were fully dominated by bandits.

Ali stated: Worrisome situation: the bandits are currently using the National Park as their harbour and base from where they attack Agwara, Borgu in Niger State, Bagudo and Shanga in Kebbi State, Kaiama/Baruten in Kwara State and some neighbouring communities in Benin Republic.

“Most of the bandits are foreigners who cannot even speak Nigerian languages. Some of them migrated from Zamfara and Katsina using Ibbi National Park as their link to enter Kaiama National Park and Kainji National Park as their destination.”

Ali revealed that about a month ago, the bandits had laid ambush and bombed four personnel between Babanna and Lumma, while the last two months witnessed recurring killings, kidnappings and displacement in the entire Federal Constituency, including the public one in the police station at Lumma where a leader of the Fulani clan was assassinated in broad daylight because of his failure to compromise.

He lamented that the situation in the entire Federal Constituency is horrible and would continue to worsen if urgent action is not taken to save the constituency from being taken over by bandits in the next few months.

The House resolved: “ Direct the Chief of Defense Staff to mobilize military personnel with modern weapons to mop up the National Park near Kainji Dam which is currently in the control of bandits as their meeting point and in particular establish Forward Operative Base (FOB) at Lumma, Audu Fari, Agwara and Mago.”

It also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons to provide food and non-food items to the surviving victims and families of the deceased scattered across the Federal Constituency;

It further directed the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to convert the Kainji Park into a viable agricultural facility. (THISDAY)

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