Sunday October 5, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |
By Zagazola MAKAMA
Fresh tension has gripped several rural communities in Rafi and Wushishi Local Government Areas of Niger State following overnight movements by armed terrorists suspected to be remnants of the gang that struck villages near the Gwabtai River late Saturday, October 4.
According to credible local sources, the assailants, who crossed the Gwabtai River under the cover of darkness, were sighted at dawn moving through the Jaluwe, Tashan-Kade, and Nandubo axis, a cluster of settlements located along the road leading to Pangu-Gari, on the eastern flank of the Tegina–Zungeru highway.
Residents reported sporadic gunshots during the night, forcing many families to flee into surrounding bushes. As of 9:50 a.m. Sunday, October 5, there has been no official confirmation of casualties or abductions, though fear remains high in the affected communities.
Security operatives, including local vigilante groups and troops under the Operations Whirl Punch and Forest Sanity, have reportedly intensified tracking operations. However, progress has been slow as the terrorists, believed to be moving on foot, constantly change routes to evade aerial and ground surveillance.
A senior security source familiar with the situation told this reporter that reinforcements have been deployed from Tegina and Zungeru to intercept the fleeing gunmen before they regroup or attempt another raid. “We’re monitoring their movement closely. The terrain is tricky thick bush, rocky patches, and narrow footpaths which makes pursuit difficult,” the source explained.
Meanwhile, displaced residents from Jaluwe and nearby communities have called on the Niger State Government to step up aerial patrols and establish more security outposts along the Tegina–Zungeru corridor, which has seen recurrent terrorist incursions in recent months.
Tracking operations were still ongoing at press time.
