Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A farm worker has been shot in the head and abducted by bandits in the Kuppa community, neighbouring Soba in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State, in an attack that has left residents in a state of fear and uncertainty. The victim, a worker employed by a local farmer identified as Alhaji Aliyu, was shot after attempting to escape by climbing a tree during an attack on farmlands on Monday, 6 July 2026, according to a report by SaharaReporters published on Wednesday, 8 July 2026.
In a disturbing video obtained by SaharaReporters, the injured victim, visibly bleeding from the head, was interrogated by one of the kidnappers in Hausa while surrounded by the bandits. The gunmen recorded the video and forced the wounded man, at gunpoint, to deliver a warning to residents and his relatives. The conversation, monitored and translated by SaharaReporters, showed the victim recounting how he was shot and captured after attempting to flee. "That's what happened. This man chased me. I raised my hands. I begged him and told him not to shoot me. He refused. He said I had to stop, otherwise he would shoot me," the victim narrated. "So I climbed a tree and hid while they kept pursuing me. Then they caught me. Now I am in your custody."
The attack came as local vigilantes and community security volunteers from Soba town engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle after receiving information that the armed men had invaded Kuppa. A resident of the area told Gaskiya News Hausa that the confrontation began after members of the local vigilante group responded to reports of the bandits' attack. "When the vigilantes and community security volunteers in Soba received information that bandits had attacked Kuppa, they quickly mobilised and went to assist their neighbouring community. A prolonged confrontation then ensued between them and the bandits," the resident said. According to the resident, several of the attackers were killed during the exchange of gunfire. Reports also confirmed that one member of the vigilante and community security team lost his life during the battle, while another sustained gunshot injuries.
The bandits, however, managed to abduct the farm worker and recorded a video of him while he was bleeding from the head. During the recording, one of the kidnappers attempted to beat the wounded victim despite blood flowing from his head. However, another kidnapper stopped him, saying: "Hey, don't touch him." The interrogating kidnapper then instructed the victim to relay a message to his family and members of the community. "You have been told to send this message to your relatives about the shooting that happened to you." The victim responded: "I was shot—" The kidnapper cut him short and issued a direct warning to residents. "If they want this matter settled, you people should stop farming. Your work here is over. You are to send that message to them."
The incident in Kuppa is part of a broader pattern of escalating violence that has gripped Niger State, where bandits have increasingly targeted farming communities, killed farmers, abducted residents, and imposed levies on rural populations. The attacks have severely disrupted agricultural activities, threatening food production in a state that is a key contributor to Nigeria's food supply. According to a report by PREMIUM TIMES, a long-awaited rainfall should have been received with joy by farmers in the Pandogari district of Rafi Local Government Area, but instead, a recent downpour became a trap when armed bandits encircled farmlands on 15 June, forcing farmers to flee for their lives. Some villagers were not as fortunate. That afternoon, the assailants killed Dauda Galadima, a resident of the nearby Ruba village, and abducted five farmers on their fields.
In response to the escalating attacks, communities have been forced to devise localised security measures to protect themselves. Farmers now assign individuals to climb the tallest trees to act as sentries, monitoring the horizon and alerting those working on the ground the moment they spot any suspicious movement toward the fields. Yet, even these makeshift early-warning systems are not enough. In several parts of the community, agricultural activity has stopped because of the bandits. Approximately half of the region's farms have been abandoned.
Residents of Kuppa and surrounding communities are now living in fear of fresh attacks, with the bandits' warning that "your work here is over" hanging over their heads. The Niger State Government and security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident, but the community has called for urgent intervention to prevent further bloodshed and displacement. For the wounded farm worker, whose fate remains unknown, and for the families of those who have lost their lives, the message from the bandits is clear: the cost of farming in Niger State has become unbearably high.
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