Villagers in Sarkin Pawa Ward in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State are vacating their homes following attacks by bandits in which no fewer than 30 persons were reportedly killed.
Daily Trust also learnt that seven women were kidnapped by bandits in Sabon Kachiwe and still in captivity, four days after the attack.
A local government official from the affected community, who spoke in confidence, told our correspondent that the attackers also set the entire villages ablaze after slaughtering and shooting both men and women on sight.
“The security operatives came and evacuated the dead bodies and they were prepared and given mass burial,” a source said.
Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, had earlier confirmed the attack on the three villages.
According to the SSG, 13 persons were killed in Kachiwe, 9 in Shape and 6 in another village, all in Sarkin Pawa Ward of Munya LGA.
But a source from the community said 10 persons were set ablaze in their rooms while four were slaughtered in Sabon Kachiwe village alone.
The source said the attackers also destroyed the telecommunication masts belonging to MTN and GLO during the attacks.
Another local, who spoke in confidence, told our correspondent that whereabouts of the abducted women were yet unknown.
A human rights activist and convener of the Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju has said President Muhammadu Buhari needs prayers for saying his administration has performed better than previous democratic governments since 1999.
He criticised Buhari for speaking about the discovery of the alleged sponsors of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, and failing to talk about the sponsors of Boko Haram terrorists, who have killed thousands of Nigerians and displaced millions.
Adeyanju added that it was inconceivable to see that Buhari applauded the military personnel who have failed to defend the territorial integrity of the nation.
The activist noted that North-West Nigeria and the Middle Belt have been completely ravaged by terrorism and banditry, yet the President praised the Army for its failure to combat these criminals.
Adeyanju said this while reacting to Buhari’s speech on October 1 to commemorate the 61st Independence Anniversary of Nigeria.
The statement, titled, ‘Buhari mocked Nigerians with his Independence Day speech –Adeyanju’, was obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday.
It said, “The whole country knows that this is the worst government in the history of our nation.
“It is beyond sad to hear president Buhari commending the military for failure in his Independence Day speech. The North West, North Central and almost the entire country is almost a NO-GO AREA due to widespread insecurity. Terrorist groups control over 10 local government areas in the president’s home state of Katsina and collect taxes from residents openly and unchallenged.
“So many people who were killed by terrorists in Southern Kaduna were buried yesterday. Dora Akunyili’s husband was gunned down recently in the South-East yet the president praises the military for failure.
“The president also said he has discovered sponsors of IPOB and Oduduwa agitators but failed to talk about sponsors of Boko Haram that Dubai revealed recently because they are from his zone.
“The president apparently needs prayers for saying his administration is the best since 1999 and that Nigerians have never had it so good. It is unthinkable that the president of a nation should openly peddle so much falsehood as Buhari has just done.
“For context, cooking gas is N7,200 from N3,000 in 2015. $1 is N575 from N200 in 2015. The list goes on and on of the inflation records of the current administration. Nigeria has fallen completely to terrorist groups. This is a government that kills protesters but negotiate with terrorists.”
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky says the Muhammadu Buhari-led government has no solution to the insecurity ravaging all parts of the country.
The Islamic cleric also accused the government of gross violation of his fundamental rights by being disallowed to travel out of the country for treatment despite his deteriorating health condition.
He disclosed this while responding to questions in an exclusive live programme with the Iranian Press TV.
It is his first interview with the media since he regained freedom on July 28, 2021.
He had been arrested and detained since December 2015.
He said, “Myself, I can say I don’t know what these people want to achieve by setting the country in such chaotic condition. It appears that they have no solution to these problems, yet they continue to create more.
“Like the attack on us, why attack on peaceful protesters when you have people you call bandits attacking innocent people all over the country. Why not take up the matter with them (bandits)?
“They are claiming they are fighting these local bandits or so-called Boko Haram, yet these people are always on the wing, they are using sophisticated weapons, guns. The military authorities keep giving information that they are getting setbacks. Why all this insecurity and kidnapping all over the country? Who is benefiting from it?”
Thousands of wailing villagers, Thursday afternoon, swarmed around 38 coffins bearing the corpses of people killed by murderous herdsmen in Madamai and Abum villages in the Kaura local government area of Southern Kaduna.
They were violently killed on Sunday, September 26, 2021.
No official of the Kaduna state government was present at the emotion-filled funeral.
But the Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial Zone, Danjuma Laah told the villagers that they are being killed because the government has failed to defend them.
The Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan, Diocese Most Rev Julius Yakubu Kundi said also noted that the ruling class in Southern Kaduna have betrayed their people.
These were revealed to SaharaReporters on Friday in a statement issued by the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union’s spokesman, Luka Binniyat.
The statement is titled, ‘38 Coffins Of Killed Villagers In Southern Kaduna Stir Anger At Funeral Mass.’
It reads, “The coffins which were brought to the village square of Mallagun, about 6km from Madamai by the Kagoro-Samaru Kataf expressway for a funeral mass, also inspired fiery speeches, as Kaduna State government and even serving government officials that are of Southern Kaduna origin shunned the event.
“It could be recalled that Madamai and its smaller neighbour Abum, came under invasions of armed herdsmen last Sunday, leaving at least 38 people killed, 9 severely injured and 40 homes burnt.
“The first attack on Madamai was on the 15th of August 2021 in which 5 persons were killed and 26 houses burnt. No one has given reasons for the bloody crime.”
Addressing the mourners, Senator Laah, in his message, said it was left for the people of Southern Kaduna to decide whether they want to go into extinction or not.
“I have witnessed too many mass burials in Southern Kaduna. There was a time we buried 134 people in various mass graves in 2 days. If you still think that there’s going to be a government that is going to defend you . . . well, I am sorry for you.
“This mass was organised for the world to see the kind of evil that has been visiting us and we have been burying our kinsmen silently, just to await the next mass killings. But this time, the world must see this and bear witness that we are under genocide. If we the leaders speak against it, we are branded haters of peace,” Laah said.
In his speech, Kundi said, “These innocent, poor villagers lying in these coffins would have not been there if you, our elites and politicians did what you should do. Because I know that you have the means of doing it, when you know that we have no one to protect us. But because of greed and lack of foresight, you have abandoned our people.”
In his sermon, Fr. Billiyok Joseph Abba, said, “The people that committed this heinous crime against this Christian community may have injured us physically, but our Faith in Jesus Christ remains unshakable.
“They have cut down the lives of these brethren, but they have only hastened them into martyrdom and immortality with our Maker.
“We must not be moved into the ways of the aggressors, because the anger of our Lord would soon be unleashed on our enemies very soon.”
But the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State Chapter, Rev. Joseph Hayab, took a different view from Abba.
“We have written enough petitions, written too many press statements, organised Press Conferences and held several protests. No one appears to read or see us. The only time they will listen to us is if one day they enter a village and they are surrounded and none of them comes out. That day, they will listen,” he said to the loud approval of the moaning crowd.
SOKAPU President, Jonathan Asake on his part, said there was a well-designed agenda to chase out natives of Southern Kaduna from their communities and supplant a hostile, foreign one.
“As I stand here today, 104 of our communities in Southern Kaduna have been captured by armed herdsmen and thousands have been displaced with no consequence to the assailants.
“Our people are under a clear genocidal threat and the government must be held responsible for all these massacres.”
Meanwhile, the Kaduna state government clearly avoided the ceremony as not a representative of the government was present. Also, not a single serving government official, whether elected or appointed from Southern Kaduna was present at the event. The caskets were later laid in a mass grave dug by an excavator at Madamai, amidst more wailing around 5 pm.
Kaduna based controversial slamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged security operatives to stop killing bandits that are ravaging villages, abducting schoolchildren and killing Nigerians.
The controversial cleric asked that they should rather be respected and accorded human rights.
“The bandits also have empathy as we have; they have families, children. The first step is to use psychology on them. They aired their grievances and are ready to change.
“They should be respected and should be given all the human rights everybody has,” Gumi said Thursday at a peace conference by the Center for the Advancement of Human Dignity and Value held at Arewa House in Kaduna.
The controversial self-appointed mediator to assist in finding a solution to banditry, Gumi, said Nigeria will spend less to enlighten bandits than it is spending on arms and ammunition, Peoples Gazette reports.
“Some are suggesting killing them. All because they are killing. For three year’s you have spent $1 billion, and now you need another $1 billion. But, I said one-third of that will enlighten them, and they will stop killing. Have you tried it? Nobody tried it,” Gumi said.
Contrary to Gumi’s stance, Katsina Governor Aminu Masari said he bemoans that bandits have continued with their criminal activities despite being granted amnesty.
In several coordinated attacks, the criminals have kidnapped hundreds across North-East states, forcing school closure in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara at different points.
In July, bandits bombed a Nigerian Air Force jet in Zamfara and attacked the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna in August, killing two and abducting a Major.
Zamfara State governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has ordered for the restoration of telecommunication services in the state capital of Gusau with immediate effect from Friday, October 1, 2021.
This was contained in a statement signed by the special adviser on public enlightenment, media and communications to the governor, Zailani Bappa.
He stated that the restoration of the service was imperative following the tremendous success recorded by the security operatives in the fight against banditry in Zamfara State.
Governor Matawalle further noted that the restoration of the telecommunication services would ease the hardship faced by both private and public sectors while reaffirming the government’s commitment in the protection of lives and properties in the state.
“The restoration of the service at the state capital becomes imperative following the tremendous success recorded in the fight against banditry in the state and to ease the hardship faced by both the private and public sectors of the state.
“Government finds it necessary to ease the tight measure after the recorded success desired of it which has no doubt destabilsed the syndicate of criminals terrorising the state leading to the successes recorded against them by the security operatives.
“Governor Matawalle promises that his administration will continue to monitor closely the unfolding developments and will announce further decisions of government on measurs being taken appropriately,” he stated.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Friday said he had directed a conditional lifting of the ban placed on the operations of the micro blogging sire, Twitter, in Nigeria in June.
Buhari disclosed this in his nationwide broadcast to Nigerians to mark the nation’s 61st independence.
He described the social media as a very useful platform but regretted that some users have misused the platform to organise, coordinate, and execute criminal activities, propagate fake news, and promote ethnic and religious sentiments.
The President said, “Social media is a very useful platform that has enabled millions of Nigerians to connect with loved ones, promote their businesses, socialise, and access news and other information.
“However, recent events have shown that the platform is not just an innocuous platform for information dissemination.
“Rather some users have misused the platform to organise, coordinate, and execute criminal activities, propagate fake news, and promote ethnic and religious sentiments.
“To address these negative trends, the Federal Government of Nigeria suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria on June 5, 2021 to allow the Government put measures in place to address these challenges.
“Following the suspension of Twitter operations, Twitter Inc. reached out to the Federal Government of Nigeria to resolve the impasse. Subsequently, I constituted a Presidential Committee to engage Twitter to explore the possibility of resolving the issue.
“The Committee, along with its Technical Team, has engaged with Twitter and have addressed a number of key issues. These are National Security and Cohesion; Registration, Physical presence and Representation; Fair Taxation; Dispute Resolution; and Local Content.
“Following the extensive engagements, the issues are being addressed and I have directed that the suspension be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow our citizens continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.
“As a country, we are committed to ensuring that digital companies use their platform to enhance the lives of our citizens, respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, cultural values and promote online safety.”
Gumi during a visit to bandits camp in Northern Nigeria
Controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said bandits terrorising the country love those who show them respect and understanding.
According to People’s Gazette, Gumi said this while fielding questions from students during a lecture at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on Wednesday.
The cleric who has been visiting the gunmen in the forest in an attempt to negotiate a peace deal with them says his interaction with them have been easy because he always “goes through the door.”
“I go through the door, not the window. If you go through the door, you will go in and come back safely,” he said.
Gumi said if the bandits were given a listening ear, their resolve would be softened and would become more amenable to abandoning their violent ways.
When asked why the bandits had not kidnapped him despite his numerous visits to their den, Gumi said, “When we meet them, we don’t speak, we give them the microphone to speak even for one hour. When we first approached them, we saw that they were holding their warrant, ready to fire. By the time we finish our meeting, they will hand in their weapons and we will be taking pictures.
“So this is the power of human interaction which is what we are here to study as social scientists. That is the approach.”
The preacher said he had been able to gain the bandits’ sympathy because he “treats them as human beings and respects them.”
“That is the respect I give them. I say come, come and sit with me. Come and sit down. I want to hear from you. With that respect, the Fulani man, you can get him.
“So don’t be surprised, if you are nice to him, if you are ready to listen to him, if you are trying to understand his problem, if you put your legs in his own shoes, he will listen to you, you will go to the forest and return safely insha Allahu,” Gumi assured
Gunmen have killed two people in Nyiev community of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident occurred barely two days after nine people were killed in different locations of the local government area.
Council Chairman of Guma, Caleb Aba, told dailytrust correspondent on Thursday that the gunmen besieged Nyiev community and opened fire on the residents.
He said the gunmen were militia who had also trespassed into villagers farm on Wednesday.
Aba said the matter had been reported to security agencies who are doing all they could to stem further invasion.
Contacted, the Police Spokesperson for Benue Command, DSP Catherine Anene, said she was not yet aware of the matter.
Armed bandits have allegedly killed no fewer than 30 persons in Kachiwe village, Sarkin Pawa in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
DAILY POST gathered that the gunmen stormed the village and other neighbouring communities from their hideouts in the dreaded Barnin Gwari forest in Kaduna State on Tuesday.
When contacted, the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, confirmed the attack.
Although, he did not disclose the number of those that lost their lives, he, however, explained that the state government is not resting on its oars in its effort to rid the state of crime and criminality.
Matane appealed to people of the state to provide security agencies with credible information to enable them win in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and other criminalities facing the state.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Monday Bala Kuryas confirmed the incident.
Kuryas revealed that investigation has already started on the matter to enable the command track down the perpetrators of the criminal act.
The state Police boss stated, “A team of policemen has been despatched to the area to safeguard lives and property of people of Sarkin Pawa. Efforts are also on to track those involved in the criminal act.”
He said three people lost their lives in an attack earlier on Kagara Rafi Local Government Council of the state.
