Bandits have abducted four women, including a heavily pregnant woman, in a late-night raid on Maikadauri village in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, deepening fears among residents already living under the shadow of repeated attacks.

Local sources said the gunmen stormed the community under the cover of darkness, firing sporadically to scare villagers before seizing their captives. In the chaos, one resident was shot and killed, while a vigilante member identified as Amos sustained a gunshot wound to the leg as he tried to repel the attackers.

Witnesses described a scene of panic as families fled into nearby bushes, leaving homes and belongings behind. The bandits were said to have moved from house to house, targeting women and demanding valuables before retreating with their hostages toward the forest.

A resident of Kontagora, Habibu Mohammed, said communities on the outskirts of the town have endured a series of similar raids, despite the presence of security personnel in the wider area. According to him, villagers now live in constant fear, unsure when the next attack will come.

He appealed to authorities to intensify security operations and provide better protection for rural communities that rely on farming and firewood collection for survival. Many residents complain that they are trapped between the risk of staying indoors without income and the danger of venturing into forests where armed groups operate.

The Kontagora incident came barely a day after two young men, identified as Sidiq Musa and Bashar Bisalla, were shot dead by gunmen while collecting firewood in a forest near Wawa, in Borgu Local Government Area of the state.

Residents in Wawa said at least seven young men have been killed in the same forest in just over three months, all of them attacked while gathering firewood to sell or use at home. The repeated killings have forced many families to limit their movements, further straining livelihoods in already impoverished communities.

Community leaders in both Kontagora and Borgu have renewed calls for sustained military patrols, better intelligence gathering, and support for local vigilante groups, warning that without decisive action, more lives will be lost and more villages emptied by fear.