John Adams, Minna
 Barely two days after some youths from 14 communities in Rafi local government area of Niger state staged a peaceful protest to demand an end to series of bandits attacks in their communities, armed bandits numbering about 50 in the early hours of Thursday, invaded Kagara town, the headquarters of the local government, killing one person and kidnaping no fewer than 17 people.
Among those Kidnapped are the wife of the Education Secretary of Chanchaga local government who is also an elder brother to the Chief of Staff to the governor, Hajiya Simbiat Lawal and her six-month-old baby, six grandchildren of the state former commissioner for finance and later agriculture, Alhaji Tanko Inga.
The bandits, riding on about 30 motorcycles, stormed the Shagari low-cost housing in Kagara town at about 2:00am and shot sporadically into the air to announced their presence before moving from house to house, picking their victims in an operation which lasted several hours.
A source closed to the people told our correspondent on telephone that “The doors or houses that refuse to open were forced opened and the occupants given a beaten of their life before their property were looted and unlucky ones Kidnapped.

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According to reports, the operation by the bandits actually started in the afternoon of Wednesday at about 1:30pm where they raided Uregi, Karaya and Sambuga communities, a few kilometers from Kagara town where several people were also kidnapped and hundreds of cattle rustled.
One Alhaji Shehu Karaya was said to have lost 300 cattle to the bandits while the Sarkin Fulani (Chief of Fulani) in Karaya had his 100 cattle rustled and another man,  Alhaji Abdullahi Musa also had his 70 cattle taken away from him in Sambuga village.
No fewer than 10 motorcycles were taken away from their owners in Karaya village and shops were looted as the people watched helplessly.
Our correspondent gathered that It was after the afternoon raid that the bandits shifted their operation to Kagara, the local government headquarters where they operated from 2:00am till 4;30am.
A community leader in Kagara who also narrated how the attacks happened on condition of anonymity said: “Three of my cousins are among those kidnapped
” We are tired of this daily invasion, we cannot do anything with peace of mind, we are always afraid that we will be attacked”
This latest attack is coming barely one week after 15 people, including seven local vigilantes and their commander, were ambushed and killed.
This prompted a protest by Youths from the affected communities under the auspices of Amalgamation of Youths Development Association, Rafi local government, who marched through the hitherto busy but now desolate Kagara highway with a simple message, “enough is enough” over the relentless massacre of their people by bandits with the government paying little or no attention to curb the situation.
The youths said the are particularly angered over the removal of a mobile police base from Uregi community which was established three years ago at the height of the bandits attacks and cattle rustling, describing the action as “a complete betrayal of the people by the government”.
The removal of the police mobile base, according to them has further worsened by the already deteriorating security situation in the communities.
Efforts to get the Niger State Emergency Management Agency  Officials as at 9.15 am (Thursday) was not successful as their lines were not going through.
Also the State Police Command Public Relations Officer ASP Wasiu Abiodun could not pick several calls put across to him to confirm the attacks