Armed Groups Allegedly Force Niger Communities to Buy Food, Pay ₦12m Demand

(Armed t£rrorists. Photo Credit: Nation News)

Armed t£rrorists have reportedly ordered several communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State to purchase food items and other essentials on their behalf, threatening to att@ck those who fail to comply.

According to reports, the armed group inv@ded four communities Dakara, Gbenji Gidazana, Kpeya/Biyan, and Giragbasso/Imile after allegedly emerging from the Kainji National Park.

The t£rrorists reportedly handed over a total of ₦12 million to community leaders to facilitate the purchase of the requested items.

Under the arrangement, Dakara and Gbenji Gidazana villages received ₦3.8 million each, while Kpeya/Biyan and Giragbasso/Imile received ₦2.3 million each.

Items demanded by the armed group include bags of rice, sugar, salt, cartons of spaghetti and pasta, gallons of palm oil, cooking oil, seasoning, and powdered milk, among others.

A community leader reportedly raised the alarm with security operatives, prompting a military response in some of the affected areas.

During the operation, some of the att@ckers were reportedly neutralised and motorcycles believed to belong to the armed group were recovered.

Authorities are yet to officially confirm the incident, as the Niger State Police Command declined to comment immediately.