Panic over mass movement of gunmen into Niger communities

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(FILES) This picture taken on April 30, 2013 shows Nigerian troops patrolling in the streets of the remote northeast town of Baga, Borno State. Nigeria's military said on May 16, 2013 that it was ready to launch air strikes against Boko Haram Islamists as several thousand troops moved to the remote northeast to retake territory seized by the insurgents. A force of "several thousand" soldiers along with fighter jets and helicopter gunships have been deployed for the offensive in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa state, he added. AFP PHOTO/PIUS UTOMI EKPEIPIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images

From John Adams, Minna

Fear and anxiety have gripped communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State over mass movement of gunmen into the area in the last few days fuelling another bloody attack.

About 300 motorcycles, each carrying two men, were sighted at Dogon Gonna in Kushaka district of Shiroro local government on Sunday afternoon, and are said to be currently camping there.

The development is coming barely three weeks after the bloody attack, targeting the Joint Security Task Force camp in Galadiman Kogo, where eight security personnels, eight local villages and unspecified numbers of the villagers were killed by gunmen.

Although there are no reports of any attack in the area since their arrival on Sunday, members of the communities in the area have been moving out to neighbouring communities as the mission of the gunmen was not yet known at the time of this report.

Chairman of Shiroro local government area, Mallam Suleiman Chukuba, who confirmed the latest development to Daily Sun in Minna, said that about 300 motorcycles each carrying two people were sighted, advancing towards Dogon Gonna in Kushaka district, on Sunday.

Meanwhile, former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, Jonathan Vatsa, has advised communities in Shiroro and Munya local government areas to go back to their tradition to be able to win the war against their enemies.

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