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"Local vigilante groups in Niger State say they are stepping up efforts to defend their communities amid growing attacks by armed groups operating across north-central Nigeria. Footage filmed on Saturday shows locals in Wamba village carrying weapons and patrolling the area on motorcycles and bikes. Residents and volunteer fighters described an escalating security crisis, with bandits and insurgents reportedly crossing in from neighbouring regions and launching raids on rural communities. "We have a security challenge I consider a test. We couldn't watch our people continue to die and were denied access to their lands by these bandits, and that was the motivation for us," said Dayabu Qulu Wamba, head of a local vigilante group. "We started confronting bandits with locally made guns […] Many fighters have died, including my brother." He added that Wamba sits at a crossroads bordering Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara states - areas long affected by banditry - making it particularly vulnerable to incursions. Vigilantes added that they have engaged attackers in repeated clashes, often with limited resources. "We heard that bandits were coming and we went to stop them […] We lost three men and I was shot in my hands," said Ahmadu Ibrahim, while showing his battlefield wounds. "It took me 12 months to heal the bullet wound, and there was no help from the government. But our commander was always by our side." Residents say years of violence have forced mass displacement and economic losses. "More than 500 households were displaced […] Many people lost millions," said local Sani Umar. "We then organised our own self-defence and set up a committee to support local vigilantes. Now we're able to carry on with normal activities, even when we hear bandits may attack." The violence comes amid a broader wave of insecurity across the country. Last week, at least 29 people were killed in an assault in Adamawa State, with the Islamic State claiming responsibility. Meanwhile, authorities in Kogi State said security forces rescued 15 pupils after gunmen abducted dozens of children and a school official's wife from an unregistered orphanage. Mass kidnappings for ransom have become a persistent threat to Nigerian schools, with educational institutions in rural areas increasingly targeted by armed gangs. Schools have increasingly become targets for kidnappings by armed gangs, as many lack basic security or threat-detection measures. According to the United Nations Children's Fund, only 37 per cent of schools in Nigeria currently have early warning systems."
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