Tension gripped Agwara community in Niger State in the early hours of Sunday after suspected armed bandits carried out a coordinated attack that left a police facility and a church partly destroyed, while several residents were abducted.
The Police Command in the state confirmed the incident, with the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, providing details in a statement issued in Minna. According to Abiodun, the attack occurred at about 3:40 a.m. when the assailants stormed the Agwara Police Station.
He explained that officers on duty, supported by a police tactical team, engaged the attackers in a gun battle. However, the bandits later overpowered the security personnel and used suspected dynamite to set the police station on fire, causing significant damage to the facility.
After the attack on the police station, Abiodun said the gunmen moved to the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the same community, where they set part of the church building ablaze. The attackers were also reported to have gone on a rampage in other areas of Agwara, during which about five persons were abducted. The identities of the victims were yet to be established as of the time of the report.
The police spokesman noted that the situation in the community is being closely monitored, assuring residents that security agencies have launched investigations into the incident. He added that efforts have been intensified to track down the perpetrators and ensure the safe rescue of those abducted.
Abiodun further assured that the command would provide updates as investigations progress, while reinforcing security measures in and around the affected areas to prevent further attacks.
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