Barely a week after the abduction of over 300 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State, bandits struck again, this time in Palaita community, Erena Ward, Shiroro Local Government Area. Locals reported that 24 people, including a pregnant woman, were kidnapped from a rice farm, while a blind man had his hand severed in a separate assault.
Police, however, put the number of abducted victims at 10. Meanwhile, another armed gang attacked a community in Abuja, abducting six girls and one boy.
The wave of violence coincides with the announcement by the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, that Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero, who was abducted on October 28, had died in captivity. His death led to the cancellation of the planned ‘Stand Up for Jesus 2025’ event.
Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar assured Nigerians that the armed forces are intensifying operations against banditry, despite the ongoing surge in school and community abductions. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun revealed that 11,566 officers previously assigned to VIP duties had been redeployed to under-served areas. Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan called on the government to equip officers on the ground for rapid response rather than depending solely on recruiting new personnel.
Eyewitnesses said the Palaita attackers struck around 2:00 pm during harvest, escaping before troops could respond, despite the community being just five kilometres from a military base. In another incident that day, armed men attacked Kakuru community in Erena Ward, severing the hand of a blind resident after snatching his phone.
