Locals Move Out After Soldiers Shut Down Their Military Camp, And Removes Troops From Their Village In Niger State...

After four soldiers and two officers were recently killed by bandits in the Allawa hamlet in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, the Nigerian military closed its camp and withdrew its personnel.

In Shiroro LGA, the Allawa community is one of those that has been severely targeted by terrorists and bandits.

Hundreds of people, including women, the elderly, and children, were forced to leave their homes and trek at least 50 kilometres to safe places as a result of the troop withdrawal, which locals said surprised them due to recurrent attacks in the community and its neighbouring communities, according to the Daily Trust.

Locals informed the publication that when they awoke on Thursday morning, the military had taken down their tents in order to depart the area.

Two days after the military truck stepped on a landmine along the Allawa-Pandogari route, causing an unknown number of casualties, according to one of the residents who wished to remain anonymous, the pullout took place.

He stated “I don’t know if you were aware that on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the military personnel on their way to Allawa stepped on an IED and causalities including death were recorded. Some of them are in the hospital. The incident happened on Allawa-pandogari road Tuesday.” 

The event on Tuesday occurred less than a week after bandits attacked Roro, Karaga, Rumace, and other farmland settlements, killing six troops and a vigilante in an ambush in Roro.

Mallam Yahuza Allawa, another local, reported that dozens of people had left their communities as early as 4 a.m. on foot in search of safety, travelling to Erena, Gwada, Kuta, or Zumba.

“This is a serious issue. Please help us report this issue. We are leaving our communities now and there are insufficient motorcycles and vehicles to take us out as quick as possible. We are afraid. Maybe if you report it, the government will bring vehicles to evacuate us to safe places. Our belongings are there, we can’t pack them,” he said.

Wallah, hundreds of us have left our communities already. We cannot take Pandogari Road because it is not safe. So, we are moving to either Erena, Gwada, Kuta or Zumba. And from Allawa to Erena which is the only exit road for us is at least 42km and we are trekking because there are no vehicles to convey us. We have old people among us. Many people left their homes as early as 4am before early morning prayers. We cannot wait to be killed by these heartless bandits and Boko Haram." 

He claimed that hundreds of goats and other household animals, along with other goods like food that they were unable to remove owing to a lack of vehicles, are with the fleeing farmers.

He added that the military's pullout surprised Allawa and the surrounding people, who had depended on it for protection.

Recently robbers attacked Allawa, Bassa, and the surrounding settlements, setting fire to houses, motorcycles, and hundreds of goats along with sacks of food?

Because of the assailants' powerful weaponry, the locals thought they belonged to ISWAP and Boko Haram.

Residents claimed that since the pullout, their communities had become more vulnerable to attacks, compelling them to leave.

Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed (RTD), the Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, acknowledged the troop departure to the Daily Trust and explained that it was a component of the military's plans to reassess the best approaches to address insecurity.

In response to the media, he stated, "The whole thing is about administrative arrangements by the military to re-strategize to return in full strength."