The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has distributed relief materials to victims of bandit attacks in Allawa and Bagna communities, located in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Armed bandits attacked Bagna, Erena, Yelwa, and neighbouring communities in April, killing residents and vigilante members, burning homes, and displacing numerous families.
The distribution exercise took place on Saturday at Mutum Daya community, in collaboration with the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA). The intervention followed federal government approval of relief assistance for households affected by the attacks in the two communities.
Speaking during the exercise, Hussaini Isah, Head of NEMA’s Minna Operations Office, said the intervention aimed to provide humanitarian support and alleviate hardship faced by vulnerable persons affected by the attacks.
Mr Isah noted that the distribution was organised according to the affected communities to ensure fairness, transparency, and orderly conduct. He added that the exercise was successfully coordinated with the support of community leaders, security agencies, and other stakeholders.
Items distributed included 25kg bags of rice and beans, cartons of spaghetti, vegetable oil, tomato paste, seasoning cubes, and iodised salt.
Mr Isah also advised residents to avoid farming, building houses, or conducting business activities along waterways and flood-prone areas, citing the risk of severe localised flooding. He referred to the 2026 seasonal climate prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the annual flood outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency.
The NEMA official reiterated the federal government’s commitment to prompt humanitarian response, support for affected communities, and the promotion of public awareness on disaster risk reduction and security vigilance. He urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements to security agencies.
In their remarks, the village head of Allawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Salihu, and the village head of Bagna, Mr Bitrus Leo, expressed gratitude to the federal government and NEMA for the timely intervention. They said the relief materials had restored hope to vulnerable households affected by the attacks.
The traditional rulers also commended NEMA and NSEMA for their continued commitment to humanitarian response and support for communities affected by insecurity.
Dignitaries at the exercise included the Director-General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba Arah, as well as representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the State Security Service (SSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
