Niger Governor Directs Swift Action As Bandits Kill, Abduct Hospital Personnel

Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has tasked the Joint Security Taskforce in the state to urgently put an end to the incessant armed banditry, kidnappings and wanton attacks on several communities at Gulu in Lapai Local Government Area.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel-Berje, the Governor described the recent attack and killing of some persons at Gulu General Hospital and the abduction of an unspecified number of innocent people including Medical Personnel as callous, inhuman and condemnable.

Governor Bello, who lamented the spate of insecurity in that axis of the state, said the targeted attack on the hospital is regrettable.

He stressed the need for swift, intensified security operations in order not to hamper the smooth healthcare delivery in the area.

"We are deeply concerned about the recent rise in armed banditry and kidnappings in Gulu communities when we are rejoicing and consolidating in the successes so far recorded in other affected areas, but as a responsible government we'll not rest on our oars until we triumph over evil," he said.

The Governor announced that the state government is already collaborating and supporting the Joint Security Apparatus in its drive to launch a sporadically coordinated onslaught in order to overcome the bandits and sanitize the area as soon as possible.

He commiserated with the families of the deceased and assured that the state government, in close collaboration with security agencies, would do everything humanly possible to secure the release of those abducted and also ensure that all those who fled during the attacks returned to their homes.