Residents of Sandaco in Rafinseyi, Suleja LGA, Niger State, demand a police post after a wave of armed robberies killed a police officer and a vigilante, citing the area's growth and proximity to the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
Suleja, Niger State — September 17, 2026
Residents of the Sandaco area of Rafinseyi, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, are calling for urgent security intervention following a series of armed robbery attacks that have left people dead, injured, and stripped of valuable property.
Residents who spoke to Sahara Reporters said the recurring attacks have created a persistent climate of fear and uncertainty in the community, and are appealing to security authorities to establish a permanent police post to improve response times to criminal activity in the area.
According to residents, Sandaco's growing population size and its proximity to the busy Kaduna-Abuja highway make the case for a police post particularly urgent, a corridor that has repeatedly featured in security incidents given its role as a major transit route between the North West and the Federal Capital Territory.
One resident described returning from work to find her home ransacked by robbers who struck in broad daylight while she and her neighbours were away, making off with the bulk of her household possessions.
Residents said the security situation in and around Sandaco has persisted for years, with multiple incidents recorded over an extended period, including the September 2025 killing of a Divisional Crime Officer, SP Ayuba Micah, who was attacked at his residence.
The recent killing of a police officer and a vigilante member in the community, following armed men storming a residence, has deepened residents' sense that Sandaco is being left exposed without a dedicated security presence capable of responding quickly to such attacks.
The community's appeal echoes a broader pattern of security gaps along Niger State's key transit corridors, where communities near major highways have repeatedly found themselves caught between limited local security infrastructure and their exposure to criminal networks that exploit exactly these kinds of unprotected, high-traffic routes.
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