Tension As Terrorists Still Holding Captives On Nigerian Military Training
At least 20 passengers in five vehicles were reportedly abducted along the Mariga-Kontagora road in Niger State, according to Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly and representative of Mariga Constituency.
Sarkin-Daji shared details of the incident with journalists, explaining that the kidnapping took place on Thursday when bandits blocked the Mariga-Kontagora road between Baban-Lamba and Beri.
In response to the military’s denial that bandits were operating on its training ground in Kontagora Local Government Area, which extends into Mariga LGA, Sarkin-Daji highlighted reports from families of previous victims.
According to him, these families had delivered ransoms multiple times in the forest, an area he described as overlapping with military grounds.
He further mentioned that released victims confirmed they were held in a forest near the Kontagora Army Barracks. Following Thursday’s incident, he called on the military to verify this information and address the presence of bandits in the area.
“As representatives, we gather feedback directly from our constituents about their experiences. We conduct thorough investigations before presenting issues in the House,” Sarkin-Daji said.
“It’s not that we doubt the military’s capacity to confront these threats, but dismissing the concerns of our people is unacceptable. We want the federal government and relevant authorities to recognize their plight,” he emphasized.
According to him, community reports indicate that the military training grounds have become a base for bandits, who launch attacks from the forest, abducting residents and taking them to this same area. Released captives have reported that they could see the Kontagora Army Barracks from their location in the forest, he added.
“We expected the military to investigate what these victims have revealed and to take action against the bandits. Simply refuting statements from an Assembly member is not enough,” Sarkin-Daji said.
“Following the military’s denial on Wednesday, bandits again blocked the road between Baban-Lamba and Beri on Thursday, October 31, kidnapping more than 20 passengers from five vehicles and taking them to the same forest. This vast area, stretching from Kontagora to Beri, is within Army Barracks land,” he stated.
“The military’s role is to protect civilians, and dismissing these concerns does not serve that purpose. We will keep raising these issues so the federal government and all stakeholders are aware of the plight of our people,” Sarkin-Daji concluded.
