23 communities displaced as bandits take over largest military training camp

According to the lawmakers of The Niger State House of Assembly, the cantonment hosting the largest military training camp in Nigeria, where personnel of the Nigerian Army’s artillery corps undergoes training has been overtaken by bandits.

They have raised an alarm over the occupation of Nigeria’s largest military training camp in Kontagora Local Government Area by Bandit and urged the state government to immediately rub minds with the military authorities to flush them out.

The lawmakers said the bandits’ activities have displaced 23 communities around the Nagwamase military cantonment in the Kontagora local council headquarters.

The matter was brought to the attention of the lawmakers through a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing the Kontagora 11 constituency, Abdullahi Isah, during a plenary on Tuesday 29th October 2024.

Mr Isah said these armed bandits now occupy the military camp, that covers a large piece of land extending from Kontagora local council to part of Mariga local council.

The lawmaker told his colleagues that since the bandits took over the training camp, 23 farming communities have run away from their homes due to frequent attacks by the gunmen.

“This military camp is now known to have been taken over by bandits, who are said to have established at least eight different camps in the area. The presence of the bandits on this training camp, which now serves as their haven, has posed a serious security threat to communities within the camp, both in Kontagora and Mariga local councils.”

The lawmaker said in the last month, communities near the training camp had been under intense attacks by bandits operating without an iota of compassion, further noting that the gunmen were still holding some members of the communities abducted during a recent operation.

The assembly urged the state government to liaise with the military authorities to intensify efforts to get rid of the bandits from the training camp.

It said this would help the host communities to return to their homes.

It also urged the government to give the military the needed support towards securing the training camp and bringing back peace to the area.