A recent bandit attack on Adunu village in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State has left residents recounting their losses and struggling to cope with the aftermath. Aminu Makama, a 75-year-old retiree, described the ordeal of fleeing his home with his family after bandits invaded the village on May 10, 2026, at about 7 PM. The bandits, who arrived on motorcycles, shot sporadically, forcing residents to run for safety. Makama and his family took shelter in the bush, despite the rain, as the bandits ravaged the village.
The displaced residents, including Makama, sought refuge in Kafi Koro, a nearby community that houses a military base and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps station. Makama lived with his brother in Kafi Koro for close to a month, struggling to feed his family. He noted that sympathizers and friends assisted them with little money to feed the children. However, upon returning to Adunu, Makama found that the bandits had stolen his farm produce, including yam, maize, and rice, which he relied on to sustain his family.
The bandit attack on Adunu and neighboring communities led to a wave of misinformation online, with social media users sharing videos of people arriving in Kafi Koro, fueling claims that residents were fleeing bandit attacks in Kafi Koro itself. However, an investigation by DUBAWA revealed that the videos were misleading, and the attack did not occur in Kafi Koro but in neighboring communities. Residents of Kafi Koro, including Bitris Makus and David Daniel, confirmed that the people in the truck were fleeing neighboring communities like Adunu, Kwagana, and others to Kafi Koro for safety.
The false information shared online caused residents to live in fear, particularly as they considered Kafi Koro a safer place. A source told DUBAWA that the misinformation sparked panic among residents. Meanwhile, the victims of the bandit attack, such as Florence Iliya, a native of Kukawu village, are struggling to recover from the trauma. Iliya, who has lived in Adunu for 9 years, was forced to flee her home with her family and abandon her farming and petty trade.
Iliya's experience was similar to that of Mama Kaka, an 83-year-old farmer who has lived in Adunu all her life. The bandit attack on May 10, 2026, forced Mama Kaka to run and hide in the bush, where she slept on bare ground. The attack caused her to lose her only source of livelihood, farming, and she has been unable to continue farming since then. Her children, who could have helped, had died, leaving her in hardship.
Magaji Danlami, a petrol seller and secretary of the Adunu community, also recounted his experience of the bandit attack. He was a victim of a previous attack in March 2023, when bandits invaded Adunu, abducted, destroyed, and made off with stored farm products. Danlami was among the 60 people abducted and taken into Zamfara.
The bandit attacks on Adunu and neighboring communities have left residents struggling to cope with the aftermath. The attacks have not only caused loss of livelihood but also sparked misinformation online, which has further exacerbated the situation. The residents are calling for increased security measures to prevent future attacks and ensure their safety.
Key points
- - The bandit attack on Adunu village in Niger State has displaced residents and sparked misinformation online. - The attack, which occurred on May 10, 2026, left residents recounting their losses and struggling to cope with the aftermath. - Misinformation shared online fueled claims that residents were fleeing bandit attacks in Kafi Koro, a nearby community that houses a military base and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps station.
