The Niger State Government Thursday said it is not aware that civilians are living in Kurebe Community in Shiroro Local Government Area where residents said Nigeria Air Force (NAF) strike killed at least six children last week Wednesday.
The state’s commissioner for local government, chieftaincy affairs and internal security, Emmanuel Umar, in a statement, said residents of the area are taking refuge in other parts of the state after the community was infiltrated by bandits.
Gunmen, locally referred to as bandits, have infiltrated parts of Niger State in the North Central region. These gunmen who are also active in neighbouring Zamfara, and most parts of the Northwest region of the country, attack rural communities, rustle their livestock and crops, place protection levies and abduct residents and travellers across their area of operation.
Some of the groups are affiliated with Islamist groups such as Boko Haram who are spreading their franchise to new areas away from the Lake Chad basin where they are mainly active.
While Mr Umar did not deny that the military carried out the bombing in the area, he said bandits have forced the civilian populace of the area to flee their homes.
“The attention of the Niger State Government has been drawn to a report making the rounds on social media and other media platforms suggesting that some civilians were killed at Kurebe in Shiroro Local Government Area as a result of the ongoing Air and ground operations by the military and other security agencies in the state.
“The state government says there are no civilians residing in these areas for some time now due to the infiltrations and activities of the terrorists which forced the locals to seek shelter as IDPs in other parts of the state.
“The Niger State Government welcomes the ongoing intensified military operations in neighbouring states and in some local government areas in Niger state which include Shiroro, Munya and other LGAs which is aimed at neutralising of bandits/terrorist in these environments,” the statement claimed.
