SDP accuses Niger govt of keeping armoured vehicles at Government House amid insecurity

The Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Niger State has accused Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of prioritising his 2027 re-election ambition over the safety of residents amid rising attacks, kidnappings and killings across the state. The party alleged that armoured personnel carriers, APCs, purchased by the state government to combat insecurity had remained parked at Government House for over two years instead of being deployed to security agencies. The accusation followed the alleged abduction of 50 pupils of an Islamic school in Maikujeri, Rafi Local Government Area, on Saturday by gunmen suspected to be bandits. The pupils were reportedly abducted while working on a farm belonging to one of...