Residents of the M.I. Wushishi Estate in Minna, Niger State, have been given an ultimatum by suspected bandits to either vacate their homes or face deadly consequences, News About Nigeria reports.
The warning, believed to have been issued by local miners, has left the community in fear.
The attackers reportedly struck the estate in broad daylight while many of the male residents were away at work.
The intruders vandalised properties, smashing windows and damaging vehicles, creating an atmosphere of panic among the locals.
A resident, speaking under anonymity, revealed that the attack came shortly after they had alerted the police about threats from illegal miners in the area.
“These hoodlums, whom we suspect to be miners, had warned us to leave our homes or be killed. They came during the day, breaking windows and damaging cars,” the resident said.
The situation has caused many residents, including high-ranking civil servants, to flee the estate in fear.
The resident lamented the growing insecurity in the state, noting that if it’s not bandits or terrorists displacing people from their homes, it’s hoodlums and illegal miners.
“Where is the government in all of this?” he questioned.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, stated that law enforcement had responded to a distress call about the attack.
“On September 2, 2024, at about 2:00 PM, a distress call was received that suspected illegal miners and thugs were attacking houses at M.I Wushishi Estate, Minna,” Abiodun said.
Police patrol teams were promptly dispatched to the scene, dispersing the attackers.
However, one of the assailants was killed during the altercation and his body was taken to the general hospital morgue.
Abiodun assured that normalcy had been restored and that investigations were ongoing to apprehend the culprits.
He also mentioned that patrol teams had been stationed in the area to prevent further attacks.
