Police confirm bandits burning of police station, church in Niger

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed that suspected armed bandits set ablaze a police station and part of a church in Agwara community in the early hours of Sunday.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said in a statement on Sunday in Minna that the attack occurred around 3:40 am when the assailants stormed the Agwara Police Station.

According to Abiodun, the tactical police team on duty engaged the attackers, but the bandits eventually overpowered the officers and reportedly used dynamite to ignite the station.

Recall that Agwara town, in Agwara Local Government Area, came under attack late Saturday, as armed bandits overran the community.

Videos circulating on social media showed that key public and religious facilities were set on fire during the assault.

Among the destroyed structures were the main Agwara Police Divisional Headquarters and the First UMCA Church, both reportedly torched during the overnight raid that extended into Sunday morning.

The attackers also moved to the United Methodist Church, UMC, in the community, where they burned part of the church building.

The police spokesman added that the bandits later spread to other areas of Agwara, abducting about five residents, whose identities are yet to be confirmed.

“The situation is being monitored, and further developments will be communicated in due course,” Abiodun said, noting that security agencies have launched investigations and intensified efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and rescue the kidnapped victims.