Niger Communities in panic mood as Boko Haram makes fresh demand of N30 million, farm produce to allow them live peacefully

The activities of armed men suspected to be Boko Haram has been on the increase in some parts of Niger State causing apprehension among the affected communities in the last six months.

Already, the armed men have issued a strong worded warning to the locals that they should make available to them their farm products, livestocks and cash amount of N30 million or they should be prepared to incure their wrath.

The gun men who personally dispatched the warning to the leaders in the affected communities through letters emphatically told the locals that they should not for any reason take their warning as an empty threat as they really meant their words.

The suspected Islamic jihadists whose presence were visibly noticed in some parts of Mariga, Mashegu, Magama, Munya Rafi, Rijau and Shiroro Local Government Areas of Niger State in the last six months have so far displaced residents of the affected Local Government now relocated to some parts of Minna the State capital.

Although, no reported case of their attacks on any of the communities but their presence in the affected Local Government have created unprecedented apprehension and tension among the locals as they now leave palpable fear of attack on them by the men of the Boko Haram whose violent activities have claimed thousands of lives and property in the Northeast in the last 14 years.

Their presence in some Local Government in Niger State was noticed about six months ago and they launched their first attacks on Koki, Galadima Logo, Gurmana, Erana, and Chukuba in Shiroro Local Government where they laid ambush on some soldiers who were on routine patrol along the areas and injured 14 of them while 47 of the gunmen were killed by the soldiers with two of the soldiers also killed by the Boko Haram.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State had raised the alarm on the activities of the Boko Haram whose presence were noticed in the state.

He told Journalists in an interview that the activities of the men suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram were visibly noticed in some parts of the State calling on the relevants security agencies in the State to swiftly come to the aid of the affected Local communities.

Niger State has come under heavy attacks of the armed bandits in the last four years as virtually the northern and eastern parts of the state were being ranvaged by armed bandits displacing locals.

CAPITAL POST earlier reported that the armed men had warned communities to either withdraw their girlchild from school for marriage or they will face their full wrath.