Bandits have reportedly taken control of the Nagwamase military cantonment in Kontagora, Niger State, displacing around 23 communities in the area.
The cantonment, one of Nigeria’s largest military training facilities, covers extensive land that stretches into parts of Mariga local government area, which has also faced severe impacts from bandit attacks.
READ ALSO: NSCDC arrests suspected bandit in Kano
During a recent state House of Assembly session, Abdullah Isah, the member representing Kontagora II, raised a motion of urgent public importance concerning the escalating crisis. “The camp has become a base for at least eight separate camps established by the bandits,” Isah noted, highlighting the worsening security situation for communities within and around the military site.
He reported a recent surge in attacks over the past month, with several abducted residents still held captive.
The assembly urged the state government to work with military authorities to clear the cantonment of bandit camps and restore stability to the affected areas. Legislators also advocated for enhanced support for the military, recommending more modern equipment and logistics to strengthen the fight against armed groups in the region.
Residents, mostly farmers, have been forced to abandon their homes and farmland due to the ongoing violence, intensifying the region’s humanitarian crisis.
