THE Niger State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of at least 10 farmers in Shiroro Local Government Area by bandits.
In a statement on Thursday, November 27, the police said the attack occurred on Wednesday, November 26, around Angwan-Kawo and Kuchipa villages in Erena Ward.
“On November 26, 2025 at about 8pm, report received indicated that suspected armed men abducted about ten persons from Angwan-Kawo & Kuchipa villages of Shiroro Local govt area. Effort is being emplaced to rescue the victims,” the statement read.
The police confirmation followed earlier accounts by residents who told Daily Trust that about 20 farmers were taken around 4 p.m. while harvesting rice in the same village.
Locals said the victims included four pregnant women and several children, and that the farm lies less than 500 metres from Erena town, where a military camp is located.
The ICIR reports that the abduction came barely six days after gunmen kidnapped more than 200 pupils and staff of St. Mary Secondary and Primary School in Papiri, Agwara LGA.
The development, The ICIR reported, triggered nationwide outrage and renewed calls for stronger responses from security agencies.
Across Nigeria, attacks on schools, farming communities, and highways have intensified despite ongoing military operations. In states such as Kebbi, Kano, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kwara, residents continue to face recurring raids, forced displacements, and mass kidnappings.
The ICIR reported that on November 17, 2025, armed men breached the fence of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, killed the vice principal, and abducted 25 schoolgirls, a chilling echo of the Chibok, Dapchi, and other mass kidnappings of young girls in Nigeria.
Also, last week, some armed men invaded the Eruku Church during a programme, shot sporadically and took worshippers into the forest. Three people were confirmed dead, while one person remains hospitalised.
However, all 38 worshippers abducted during the attack regained freedom on Sunday, November 24. The release followed a combined operation involving federal and state security agencies, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirming that President Bola Tinubu personally oversaw the efforts.
Amid the growing anxiety, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, November 27, declared a nationwide state of emergency on security. He directed the military, police, and intelligence agencies to expand recruitment and strengthen rapid-response capability.
The president also announced federal backing for states that have set up their security outfits. He also called on the National Assembly to begin work on laws that would allow states willing to establish state police to do so.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M