Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has denounced the recent assault that resulted in the death of a village leader and additional residents of Rafi Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

Daily Trust had reported how at least 21 people including the village head lost their lives on Thursday afternoon when bandits in their numbers reportedly invaded a market in Madaka, an agrarian community in Rafi LGA.

According to residents, the attackers raided the market around 3pm when the commercial activities were in full swing and started shooting at the crowd.

Among those killed was a butcher who recently got married. He had gone to the market to purchase some items needed for business when the bandits struck.

Reacting to the development, Abubakar, in a post via X on Friday, said Nigeria had become a “killing field” under President Bola Tinubu.

He called for the need to speed up the introduction of state police.

He wrote: “It is saddening that Nigeria has become a killing field. Thursday’s killing of scores of persons, including the village head and abduction of an unspecified number of people by suspected bandits in Madaka, in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, is yet another confirmation that contrary to assurances, insecurity continues to be rife in our country.

“We have to prioritise security and speed up the process of a constitutional amendment that will introduce State Police so that states and local authorities can deploy mechanisms that best suit their environment in tackling this hydra-headed insecurity in our land.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved and the government and people of Niger State.”