Armed Bandits Attack Ringa Village, Kidnap Four in Niger

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits have carried out a deadly raid in Ringa Village, located in the Ringa District of Rafi Local Government Area in Niger State, kidnapping four individuals and causing widespread damage, the state police command confirmed.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that on April 18, 2025, at approximately 1000hrs, a large group of armed bandits and insurgents, riding on motorcycles, invaded the village. During the attack, the assailants abducted four men Anas Shuaibu, Isah Kazuga, Mande Samari, and Bazama Kiwoji who were all residents of the village.

In addition to the kidnapping, the bandits set fire to the village’s electricity transformer, plunging the community into darkness. They also stole four unregistered Bajaj motorcycles that had been abandoned by their owners, who fled in fear for their lives.

Security forces are currently conducting intensive operations in a bid to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the perpetrators of the attack.

Armed Bandits Attack Ringa Village, Kidnap Four in Niger

Pastor Killed in Armed Robbery Attack in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a pastor in Bassa Local Government Area following an armed robbery incident that occurred late Friday night.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the he victim, identified as Pastor Yohanna Bitrus, 40, was attacked and killed by unidentified assailants who also stole his motorcycle.

The report was made by a resident, who informed the police that the incident took place at about 11:20 p.m. on April 18.

Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer in Bassa led patrol teams to the scene, where the victim was found with a deep machete cut on his chest

Pastor Bitrus was rushed to Bassa Cottage Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by the attending doctor.

Following the incident, a joint team of the military, police and other security agencies was immediately deployed into the surrounding forest in pursuit of the suspects.

Pastor Killed in Armed Robbery Attack in Plateau

JNIM Claims Deadly Attack on Benin Military Bases, Says 70 Soldiers Killed

By: Zagazola Makama

Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), a terrorist group operating in the Sahel, has claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on two military positions in northern Benin Republic on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

In a statement released through its propaganda channels, the group said it killed 70 Beninese soldiers during the assaults. The attacks reportedly targeted military companies stationed near the country’s northern borders with Burkina Faso and Niger – regions increasingly plagued by jihadist violence.

JNIM also published images of weapons and equipment it said were captured during the attacks. Among the items allegedly seized were:
American-made M2HB heavy machine guns, Five PP87 mortars of Chinese origin, Fifty-one rocket-assisted mortar shells, Three surveillance drones, Six motorcycles, Sixty-four grenades, Seventy-eight Kalashnikov rifles, Over 300 ammunition magazines, Type 80 and W-85 machine guns, Type 81-1 rifles Type 56-1 rocket launchers, and T69-1 anti-tank projectiles.

The Beninese government has yet to issue an official statement confirming the claims. However, security sources have confirmed that military operations are ongoing in the northern region, and reinforcements have been deployed to contain the situation.

JNIM, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, has expanded its activities into coastal West African states in recent years, marking a shift in its operational footprint beyond Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

JNIM Claims Deadly Attack on Benin Military Bases, Says 70 Soldiers Killed