More than 47 farmers have reportedly been abducted by suspected bandits in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, prompting security forces to launch a search operation in nearby forests as families wait for information about their relatives.
The farmers were reportedly working on groundnut farms in Tungan Rimi, within the Ma’undu-Beri Ward of Mariga LGA, when armed men invaded the area and took them away. Most of those abducted were women, although some men were also reportedly among the victims.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety of farmers who have to travel into remote areas to cultivate and harvest crops, particularly in communities where armed groups have previously carried out attacks and kidnappings.
According to the Mariga Local Government chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Muhamadu, the attackers abducted more than 47 people from the farming area. He said women made up the majority of the group after the gunmen reportedly encountered them while they were harvesting groundnuts.
Police Confirm Abduction as Search Operation Continues
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed that suspected bandits abducted more than 20 people in the same general area. Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun said the incident occurred at about 3pm on September 27 at Mukura village in the Kasuwan-Garba District of Mariga LGA.
Abiodun said the police had received a report about the incident on September 28 and that a joint security operation was already underway to locate the victims and their abductors. Military and police personnel have moved into the area and are searching locations around Mukura and the surrounding forest.
The difference between the police figure and the number provided by the local government chairman means that the exact number of people abducted has not been independently reconciled. While the chairman put the number at more than 47 farmers, the police have officially confirmed the abduction of more than 20 people.
Muhamadu also disclosed that the abductors had contacted some relatives of the victims and demanded ₦2 million for each person before releasing them. If the chairman’s figure of 47 is confirmed, the reported demand would amount to a potential ₦94 million for all the victims.
The chairman further said one of the women reportedly gave birth while the abductors held the group in captivity, adding another dimension to the concerns surrounding the incident.
Security personnel and local vigilantes have also joined the effort to locate the abductors. According to Muhamadu, the security teams and vigilantes engaged the suspected bandits in a gun battle around Alibani village after moving through the Kasuwan Garba and Beri areas.
The clash reportedly left one vigilante injured, while the armed men continued their movement away from the area.
A source in Mariga told The PUNCH that witnesses spotted armed men moving between Mangoro and Wamba after emerging from the Dogon Dawa axis. The source said the group later moved into the Bariki Forest, also known as Ma’undu, where authorities suspect the abducted farmers may be located.
The ongoing search has placed attention on the difficult security conditions facing farming communities in parts of Niger State. Farmers often spend long hours away from populated settlements during planting and harvesting seasons, leaving them particularly exposed when armed groups operate in remote areas.
For families of the missing farmers, however, the immediate concern remains their safe return. Relatives are reportedly waiting for further communication while security personnel continue efforts to locate the victims and track the abductors.
The incident could also affect agricultural activities in the area, as fear of kidnapping may discourage farmers from travelling to distant farms during the harvest season. Groundnut farming remains an important source of income for many rural households, making the safety of farming communities important not only for individual families but also for local food production.
Authorities have not announced the release of the abducted farmers at the time of reporting. They have also not publicly confirmed the identities of all the victims or reconciled the different figures given by the police and the Mariga council chairman.
For now, the farmers abducted in Niger remain the focus of an ongoing security operation, with troops, police personnel and local vigilantes searching the area for clues that could lead them to the victims.
The operation is expected to continue as security agencies work to locate the farmers, secure their release and prevent the abductors from moving them farther into the forest.