Police rescue six abducted Niger farmers, recover two AK-47 rifles

Six farmers abducted from their farms in Mahangi village, near Pandogari in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, have been rescued unhurt, the state police command said.

The victims were seized by suspected bandits while working on their farms and taken into Hanawanka forest. Joint security teams made up of police, military, Department of State Services (DSS) operatives, special hunters and local vigilantes tracked the gang and freed the farmers on October 29, 2026.

The police spokesperson in the state, Wasiu Abiodun, said the rescued farmers were received at Kagara Division for debriefing and medical attention before being reunited with their relatives. The State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna has opened an investigation.

Rifles recovered in Borgu

In a separate operation, a police tactical team working with vigilantes in Borgu Local Government Area recovered two AK-47 rifles with two empty magazines. According to Abiodun, the weapons were found during a clearance and rescue operation around Kaima and Gwando villages, near the Niger–Kwara border, after the team engaged the bandits in a gun battle.

He said some of the attackers were killed in the exchange while others escaped into the forest. The rifles were handed over to the Police Area Command in New Bussa, and the clearance operation continued.

The rescues come amid what residents describe as a rise in attacks on farmers harvesting crops in Mariga, Rijau, Mashegu, Borgu, Shiroro and Rafi local government areas. According to the police, the bandits often target villagers who refuse to hand over cash or farm produce in exchange for their freedom.

Abiodun said joint tactical teams stationed in those areas have increased their visibility and have rescued several farmers unhurt.

Why it matters

Harvest season is when many rural families earn most of their yearly income. Attacks on farms keep farmers off their land, which can push up food prices and leave households without cash.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the operations were among several security successes recorded across six states in 48 hours. In Zamfara, police and vigilantes rescued five elderly women abducted from a bean farm in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area, though a 35-year-old farmer was reportedly killed in the attack.

In Kebbi, security forces repelled an attack by suspected Lakurawa fighters on Ribah town in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area. Police in Katsina foiled an attempted attack on Karofi village in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area, with no casualties reported.

In Kano, five people were arrested on suspicion of harbouring criminals, and 48 cows, 43 sheep and two motorcycles were recovered during a raid linked to the abduction of Alhaji Abdu Fanka, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Rogo Local Government Area. The main suspects reportedly escaped.

In Lagos, police arrested a 28-year-old suspected cultist over an armed robbery at Desa Bus Stop, Ibeju-Lekki, in which a Point-of-Sale operator, Ibrahim Adewale Moronfade, was shot and later died. Police said a locally made pistol, an expended cartridge and charms were recovered.

What happens next: Investigations continue in Minna, Birnin Kebbi, Bompai and Panti, while security teams keep up bush-combing and patrols in the affected communities.