Bandits terrorising us on deplorable Lafia-Shendam road, say Nasarawa motorists, residents

Residents and motorists plying the Lafia-Shendam Road connecting Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Bauchi states have called on the Federal Government to rehabilitate the road to reduce associated hardship and deaths.

Our correspondent who visited the road observed that some parts had become death traps as robbers take advantage of its dilapidated condition to attack motorists almost on a daily basis.

The road which links three states from the southern axis of Nasarawa State was constructed by the Federal Government in 1976. Since then, no rehabilitation and maintenance have been carried out on it.

The journey between Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, and Shendam, Plateau State, which would have taken about an hour, now takes four hours due to the road’s deplorable condition. The about 60km road is now characterised by deep potholes and some areas completely washed away.

Residents and motorists along the road who are predominantly farmers lamented that they had been subjected to untold hardship over the years due to a lack of maintenance and total neglect of the road by the Federal Government.

A resident of Akurba community in the area, Shehu Musa, who spoke with our correspondent on the deplorable condition of the road, narrated how a woman and her son lost their lives in a motor accident on the road while they were heading for their village.

She said, “This road has caused the death of many innocent Nigerians. The portholes on the road are many and that is why accidents occur on it. Two months ago, a woman who lives in the Bakin Rijiya community with her 15-year-old son were involved in a motor crash on their way to their village. It was a head-on collision with another vehicle. The boy died on the spot but his mother died after a few days in a hospital.’’

Residents of the area have also called for the presence of security agencies to always be on patrol on the Lafia-Shendam road to check activities of bandits on the route. They noted that if the government could ensure that there was a checkpoint after every three kilometres of the road, activities of the criminals terrorising motorists, passengers and residents would be curbed.

A peasant farmer in Mai-Akuya community in the area, Ibrahim Abubakar, decried lack of security agents’ presence on the Road which he attributed to the reason bandits were harassing residents and motorists on the axis.

She said, “I am a peasant farmer and after harvest, I transport my farm produce to the Asakio market to sell and make profit. But with the activities of criminals who block the road almost on a daily basis, I am now scared to ply the road because I don’t want to be kidnapped or killed. There are no police or military checkpoints from Lafia to Sabon-gida Bakin Kogi, which is the boundary between Nasarawa and Plateau states. The bandits attack and kidnap our people and nothing is being done about it.’’

A resident of Adogi community in the area, Haliru Ibrahim, was seen fetching sand from a nearby river in the community with his wheelbarrow to fill the bad spots on the road. He told our correspondent that he was moved to sand-fill the road because of the rate of accidents that had claimed the lives of some people who plied the road.

Ibrahim stated, “The reason I am filling some of the bad spots with sand is because it has claimed lives of some people who travel from Lafia to Shendam in Plateau State. The road is bad. Nobody asked me to do this. I have been doing this for about five years. I bought the wheelbarrow I use for the work.’’

A commercial driver, Mallam Danladi Ibrahim, who has been plying the road for over 20 years, narrated his experience on the road to Saturday PUNCH.

Ibrahim said, “As a commercial driver, I have been plying the Lafia-Shendam Road for over 20 years. I must say that it has been difficult for me these years because of the state of the road and the insecurity that we are experiencing as drivers. But I don’t have a choice because I have to work to take care of my family members. The activities of robbers and kidnappers are worrisome. Almost every Monday, they block the road to rob businessmen and women going to Asakio market to buy goods. We are going through a difficult situation on this road.’’

Another commercial driver, Biliya Muhammed, stated how he was stopped alongside his passengers on the road by robbers who he said dispossessed them of their valuables.

“I once plied the road with some passengers from Lafia to Shendam when some robbers robbed us of money and phones. We have been going through several challenges on the road. The government should help us repair the road and direct security agents to always patrol it.’’

In his comment, a traditional ruler in the area, Emir of Adogi, Alhaji Ladan Omaku, said the about 60 kilometer Lafia-Shendam Road had caused the death of many.

He also lamented the absence of the police and other security agencies on the road which he said was responsible for the increased insecurity on the axis.

Omaku stated, “This road has been like this for many years and we have been appealing to the government to come to our aid because of the challenges we face. Some parts of the road are bad and criminals use the opportunity to rob people.

“Recently, heavily armed men blocked the road and robbed passengers going to the popular Asakio market. I call on the federal and state governments to consider that this road is important to us and help us repair it as it links many communities in the state and also serves as a link road to Plateau, Taraba and Bauchi states. Bandits are taking advantage of the bad road to attack our people and rob them of their belongings. The government needs to help us out of this situation.’’

A top government official at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press on the matter said the ministry had been doing its best to reduce accidents on the road.

When our correspondent spoke with the engineer in charge of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency in the state, Hafsat Muhammed, she said that the agency carried out a project between March and May this year and was able to patch some dangerous spots on the road.

Muhammed said, “We have done a lot on that road because the condition you met it is not how it was before. As of January this year, the road was in a state of total disrepair but we had a project there from March to May and we were able to patch and overlay some parts of the road.’’

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who was in the state to inspect some of the ongoing Federal Government projects, said the government was aware of the challenges being faced by users of the road.

He said, “The Nasarawa State Governor applied that he should be allowed to reconstruct and dualise some parts of the road and we have accepted that he can work on the road. The Lafia-Shendam Road has been in need of attention since the 1990s before we came to government. We didn’t promise Nigerians to do everything, we only promised to do our best and that is what we have been doing.’’

[Punch]

Herder, 73 Cows, 13 Sheep Arrested For Destruction On Farm

The police in Jigawa have arrested a 25-year-old herder, who allegedly trespassed into a farmland and destroyed crops worth N200,000, at Takatsaba village, Suletankarkar Local Government Area of the state.

ASP Lawan Shiisu, the command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in the state, confirmed the arrest in a statement in Dutse on Thursday.

He said the police also arrested his 73 cows and 13 sheep that strayed into the farmland on Oct. 10.

“Information received from a source revealed that on Oct. 10, at about 1920hrs, a herder trespassed into the farmland of Habu Sa’idu of Takatsaba village in Suletankarkar LGA and his animals ate and destroyed his farm crops.

“Residents from the said village accompanied by the complainant went to challenge the herdsman, who became violent and inflicted various degrees of injuries on the five persons.

Shiisu noted that no life was lost during the incident, adding that the situation had been brought under control.

He said investigation into the matter is ongoing and efforts are on to arrest the fleeing suspects. 

[NAN]

4 soldiers, top-ranking ISWAP Commanders, others killed as troops rain bullets, bombs on approaching terrorists

ISWAP Deputy Leader Oukocha seriously wounded

About 24 ISWAP fighters including top-ranking Commanders while attempting to attack a military convoy were killed at Ngamdu axis by airstrikes on Wednesday evening

PRNigeria gathered that among the ISWAP high-ranking Commanders who were eliminated in foiled attempts to attack the military convoy and Forward Operating Base (FOB) included Yaya Ebraheem, Baba Chattimari and Abu Adam Oubaida.

Meanwhile, ISWAP Deputy Jaysh in Sambisa, Modou Bacheer Oukocha, is among those fatally wounded.

A top military intelligence officer told PRNigeria that while the convoy of ground troops engaged the ISWAP fighters in a firefight, the air component from the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) arrived at the scene and bombarded the locations of the terrorists.

The source said: “A military convoy was moving between Damaturu to Maiduguri when it got intelligence of impending attacks on a FOB at Ngamdu axis. The convoy quickly made a U-turn to reinforce the base after sending signals for air cover.

“En route to Ngamdu, the military convoy encountered ISWAP fighters and engaged them. A firefight ensued before the sudden arrival of fighter jets that shelled the enemies’ locations. Many of the terrorists were killed.

“The well-coordinated operation of the Nigerian Army and Air Task Force with the support of intelligence components in the swift response is highly commendable.”

Nigeria Air Force (NAF) fighter helicopters, with the support of ground troops, had repelled a terrorist attack launched at a military base in Ngamdu by ISWAP insurgents on Tuesday as reported by PRNigeria.

However, four soldiers paid the supreme price, while an officer who sustained serious injuries while engaging the terrorists, is fast recuperating from a military health facility.Ngamdu is a border town between Yobe and Borno states.

[PRNigeria]

Gumi playing his part to curb insecurity, military won’t stop him: Chief of Defence Irabor

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has said that controversial Islamic scholar Ahmad Gumi is playing his part to tame the menace of insecurity in the country and would not be stopped by the military.

Mr Irabor, speaking at a ministerial briefing organised by the presidential communications team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, says that while Mr Gumi does not work for the military, the military will not prevent anyone from contributing to the country’s security.

Mr Gumi, a self-appointed mediator between bandits and the government, has been at the forefront of articulating the position of bandits wreaking havoc across the North.

The influential Islamic cleric recently stated that one-third of Nigeria’s budget for battling insecurity should be spent on bandits through techniques other than fighting, such as enlightenment and listening to their problems.

During a recent speaking engagement at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Mr Gumi stated that the humane side of bandits could be optimised by by showing them understanding and respect.

He said he has been able to undertake several visits and negotiations with the brigands simply by showing empathy to their yearnings.

The advocacy of Mr Gumi for bandits drew flaks from the presidency weeks past.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman Femi Adesina slammed him as “bandits-lover”.

Many Nigerians have also called for Mr Gumi’s interrogation.

Mr Irabor also announced that the military has received all 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets ordered from the United States.

He said while the military should have had the last six aircraft on September 24, a variety of factors, including weather, delayed delivery until September 28, 2021.

The fighter jets according to the defence chief are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s military operations across the country.

[Gazette]

BREAKING: ‘Over 40 Bandits’ Gunned Down

Over 40 bandits have been gunned down in the North West, according to the military authorities.

Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, Acting Director, Defence Media Operation, who disclosed this, said troops carried out operation in forests within Sokoto and Kaduna States.

He spoke at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, while giving updates on the activities of troops across all theatres of operations between October 1 and October 13.

The senior military officer, who also revealed how several structures which served as bandits’ logistics bases were destroyed, explained that the operations became imperative in order to ensure that impending security threats are forestalled across the country.

According to him, within the two weeks under review, using a force package of NAF platforms, multiple air strikes were executed on bandits’ enclaves in successive passes in different locations.

He said, “In the same vein, several armed bandits were neutralised and their hideouts destroyed during air interdiction missions executed at some other locations. The success of the air interdictions was confirmed by battle damage assessment carried out on these locations.”

Also speaking on the recently launched military exercises running concurrently in the South West, South-South, South East and North Central Zones of the country, Onyeuko said the military high command has resolved to checkmate all forms of security vices as the yuletide season approaches.

Daily Trust reports that the exercises were flagged off by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, October 4, 2021, at three different exercises of the Nigerian Army at Ovie-Emene in Enugu East LGA of Enugu State.

The exercises codenamed GOLDEN DAWN, ENDURING PEACE and STILL WATER are running concurrently precisely in the 2 Division, 6 Division, 81 Division and 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.

[Dailytrust]

Boko Haram, bandits moving to dislodge Buhari from Aso Rock: Afenifere

The ongoing rampage by armed bandits and Boko Haram insurgents, especially against police stations and military bases across the country, has overwhelmed the Buhari administration, Afenifere said on Wednesday.

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group cited how Boko Haram terrorists set up camps in villages in Kuje, Abuja, and took over about 500 communities in Niger.

Peoples Gazette had previously reported how Boko Haram took over parts of Niger and imposed VAT and income tax on residents of communities in Shiroro.

The group in a statement by its spokesperson, Jare Ajayi, recalled that Nasarawa Governor Abdullah Sule once said Boko Haram had taken over parts of his state.

“He even went further to remind the federal government and security agencies that Nasarawa is very close to Aso Rock, the country’s seat of power,” the group said.

Afenifere said aside from Boko Haram setting up camps in Niger and Nasarawa, bandits had overran large cache of lands in Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Benue and Yobe.

“Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Benue, Yobe have cache of lands where bandits have established themselves from which they unleash terror on the people and government interests.

“In the South West, Ibadan to Ijebu-Ode highway, parts of Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun and Osun States posted cases of armed attacks and abductions almost on a daily basis. The same way it is happening in Edo State among others,” the group said.

According to the group, the frequent killings by unknown gunmen, and the effectiveness of the ‘stay-at-home’ order by IPOB, had consigned the Buhari regime to “feebleness”.

Afenifere said Mr Buhari was “very much aware of the challenges” but lacked the political “will and determination to confront the challenges headlong.”

According to the statement, the Buhari regime’s failure to act decisively on insecurity, “has imperiled the social and economic activities in various parts of the country.”

Afenifere said the incessant incidents of insecurity across the country were portrayals of the Buhari regime’s failure in its primary responsibility of protecting Nigerians.

The group said urgent steps were required to stop terrorists and bandits from gaining ground, and “prevent the country from going into smithereens.”

[Gazette]

Four pro-Iranian fighters killed, others wounded by Israeli strikes in Syria

t least four Iranian-backed militia have been killed and seven others wounded by Israeli strikes, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The rights group which monitors violence in the war-torn country, said the dead were all Syrian nationals working for Iranian militias and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

The SOHR’s account was, however, different from that of the state-run Syrian News Agency (SANA) that a Syrian soldier was killed and three others wounded.

The Syrian TV reported that shortly after midnight Thursday, Israeli strikes hit the eastern countryside of Homs, targeting a communications tower and surrounding points.

An Israeli military spokesperson said they won’t comment on “reports in foreign media.”

Israeli strikes in Syria are seen as attempts to prevent Iran, one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main allies, from building up its military influence in the region.

[NAN/Gazette]

Gunmen kill baptist pastor, one other in Kaduna

Gunmen have reportedly killed a Baptist pastor and one other on Monday evening in Lisuru Gida, Ikulu Chiefdom, Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A resident who pleaded anonymity confirmed the incident to The PUNCH yesterday, saying the gunmen opened fire at the duo on their way home from their farms around 6pm.

The source described the suspects as Fulani herdsmen, adding that the community has been under threat.

“The Fulani have turned our farms into grazing fields and we have been living under security threats.

“Neighbouring communities have always always been suspicious of the local Fulani who we see as our neighbour,” the source said.

He said normalcy has returned to the community while calling on the government to redouble its effort in ensuring that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are apprehended.

Meanwhile, effort to get across to the state police spokesperson, Mohammed Jalige to comment on the incident prove abortive as of the time of filing this report.

[PUNCH]

Use corps members to fight Boko Haram, others who can’t fight should work without pay – Fayemi

Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State and the Chairman, Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF), has said the security situation in the country requires concerted effort to address it.

Fayemi while speaking at an event in Ibadan said the present situation in the country didn’t warrant politics of blame and opportunistic opposition, but “it is time to build a nation and not to fritter it away.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Fayemi stressed that Nigeria is in need of patriotic statesmen and women and not rumour mongers, ethnic crisis entrepreneurs, provincial men of little minds who see everything from the prism of ethnic and religious conspiracy.

According to him, one way to bring the current wave of insecurity to a halt is to recruit a large number of people to join the police and the military, on a short service or otherwise.

He pointed out that one of the cheapest and fastest ways to handle this was to amend the law setting up the Nation Youths Service Corps (NYSC).

The Governor explained that the existing orientation camps can be used to train willing and able graduates to reflate the security personnel under a special arrangement that will be worked out.

He said corps members who cannot join the military services can serve in their community without pay.

“By available statistics, we need minimum of 200,000 personnel to boost the fighting power of our men.

“This number is very large and a potential financial and logistic nightmare, yet we cannot delay any further.

“The ungoverned spaces needed to be closed up quickly by motivated men with the singular objective to save the nation.That takes us to the number two issue of financing and arming large recruitment.

“With this, we can use the existing orientation camps to train willing and able graduates to reflate the security personnel under a special arrangement that will be worked out.

“That way, the fund that is currently deployed to the NYSC can be used with just some additional funding, which could be sourced through a national emergency fund for the next five to 10 years.

“Those who cannot join the military services can serve in their community without pay, if we must still retain the NYSC for everyone.

“To incentivise those who may volunteer to serve, they will have a separate certificate and medal of honour in addition to having priority for military, paramilitary and civil or public service recruitment after service.

“We also need to encourage investment in the real sectors that can engage people and reduce unemployment, which is a major source of insecurity,” the NGF chairman added.

Fayemi, however, said he has confidence that though, the situation might look helpless, sooner than later, the security situation would see a significant improvement and that Nigeria would come out stronger from this moment of national distress.

[DAILYPOST]

BREAKING: Gunmen Kidnap Catholic Priest In Abia Amid Military Operation ‘New Dawn’

The Reverend Father of the Catholic Church, Umuahia, Abia State, has been abducted by some yet-to-be-identified gunmen.

He was kidnapped along Enyiukwu Road Ohokobe Afaraukwu community, Ibeku in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State.

According to Daily Trust, eyewitnesses said the kidnappers intercepted the clergy who had just concluded a morning mass at St Gabriel, Okpururie, Afaraukwu, forced him out of his Toyota Corolla into their jeep and sped away.

Chimezie, who hails from Enugu State, was ordained a priest earlier this year.

The attack is coming amid the Nigerian Army’s Operation Golden Dawn which is supposed to tackle criminals and criminalities in the South-East region.

[Saharareporters]