It’s shameful security agents fail to arrest Aso Rock burglars one year after –HURIWA

*HURIWA DEPLORES INABILITY OF SECURITY FORCES TO STOP RISING CRIMES/TERRORISTS INFILTRATION OF FCT

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Tuesday, slammed the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency and other security agencies for their collective failure to fish out some Aso Rock burglars one year after the embarrassing incident.  

Robbers, last May, had burgled the residence of the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja and the incident was confirmed by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, also said the incompetence of the security agents and their failure to arrest the Aso Rock burglars has buoyed burglars and bandits so much so that they sacked Abuja villagers and cause hundreds of dwellers to flee their homes despite living in the seat of power, kilometres away from President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Residents of rural communities in the FCT have reportedly fled their homes after bandits went on a rampage, killing a 23-year-old man, Nura Mai Gyada, and stealing 36 motorcycles.

According to news reports, daring bandits went on the rampage last weekend in the Adagba community of the Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, kidnapping residents and killing some. 

Residents had said the bandits numbering over 100 with sophisticated weapons invaded the community around 9pm on Saturday, divided themselves into groups, moved from house to house while shooting into the air and made away with motorcycles, other valuables and cash.

Several other kidnappings, killings and disturbing attacks have occurred in Abuja in the last two years including the attack and abduction of two Abuja-based journalists of PUNCH Newspapers, Solomon Odeniyi and Amarachi Orjiude, within 24-hours last March; the attack on the Abuja Bureau Chief of the Nigerian Tribune, Leon Usigbe, also in March 2022, the abduction of a PUNCH journalist, Okechukwu Nnodim, in February 2021; amongst numerous others that went unreported in the media.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is shameful and a pointer to the inefficiency of all the security agents that one year after daring burglars invaded the residence of a whole Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, a street to that of the President in Aso Villa, the police, the DSS, the Army and others are yet to fish out the perpetrators. Or have they gotten the so-called burglars but failed to revert to Nigerians about the development? 

“The whole security architecture are also yet to be ascertained how armed robbers gained access into the ‘well-fortified’ Presidential Villa manned by a combined team of policemen, DSS operatives, and men of the Presidential Guards Brigade of the Nigeria Army. Sadly, till date, this invasion has yet to be resolved.  

“Contrastively, more than 725 people have been arrested for storming the United State Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Over 71 rioters have also received criminal sentences, while the rest are waiting for their trials or haven’t yet reached plea agreements for charges ranging from obstruction of an official proceeding to assault.

“The continuous state of insecurity in Nigeria and the shameless incapacity of the security agencies to secure even the FCT is now obvious. If the security agents cannot even secure Aso Villa and the FCT that is about the smallest state if we take it to be a state and the seat of national power, then the hope of the common man is quashed.

“It’s pathetic that FCT residents now flee to the central business district of Abuja over attacks and invasion by marauding bandits in communities outside of the Central Areas of the metropolis. 

“The Buhari regime must wake up and proffer radical solutions to the insecurity situation in the country.

“Nigerians must also demand accountability from the security agencies because defence sector got the largest chunk of budget this year. why is nobody being punished for failing to safeguard lives of Nigerians despite that the cardinal role of the government is the security of lives and property? Enough is enough.”

Aprll 26, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

HURIWA CAUTIONS NIGERIA POLICE AGAINST UNLAWFUL ARRESTS IN IMO STATE

Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has for the umpteenth time warned the men and officers of the Nigeria Police,  especially the Imo State  Police command to be professionally circumspect on how they go about arresting, coercing, parading and slamming allegations on people in Imo State just as the Rights group said media trial of suspects by the police especially in the South-East of Nigeria must be discouraged and discontinued so the principle of Rule of law is upheld all the times. 

The police, HURIWA insists, are not above the law and must comply totally with the provisions of the law since it is a creation of the law.

HURIWA has also cautioned the police to understudy the South East where they are posted from all parts of the Country, so they get acquainted with the socio-cultural practices and traditions of the people of the region to avoid the unlawful arrest of members of the African traditional Religions on the disguised allegations that they are using their shrines to pray for persons perceived as being responsible for the spate of attacks that targeted strategic national security assets in the South East of Nigeria.  HURIWA said security forces have consistently attacked shrines of African traditional worshippers and have had to parade them as collaborators with the so called unknown gunmen and at the end of the day, the police have failed to get any conviction from all these ARRESTS. 

HURIWA which condemned strongly the attacks on strategic national security assets and have also condemned the killing of police operatives, also accused the police in the South East of Nigeria and especially the Imo State command of the widespread use of extrajudicial execution of suspects in their detention facilities and during their security operations in parts of Imo State just as the Rights group said the allegations that police dump unidentified corpses of young Igbo boys in the Federal medical centre in Owerri, Imo State, is a serious indictments that must be investigated by the International Criminal Court in The Hagues Netherlands so those responsible for these crimes against humanity are prosecuted for these odious and gruesome killings. 

HURIWA also faulted the parade of a so-called bomb maker by the police in Imo State just as the Rights group said from the photo evidence of what the police termed bomb making equipment which they paraded with the lone suspect as celebrated in some sections of the Nigerian media, it would seem that what the police calls ‘bomb making’ materials are some locally fabricated non lethal explosives that are used during burials to shoot 21 gun salutes to deserving members of the Igbo communities which is in Igboland is called NKPO NA ANI. 

HURIWA recalled that The Imo State Police Command on Friday said it arrested and paraded a 50-year-old-man one Simeon Onigbo, suspected to be a bomb manufacturer for the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, used in attacking police stations and government facilities in the state.The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Micheal Abattam, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri.The command said it was last Wednesday it uncovered and raided the IPOB bomb manufacturing camp at Uba Umuaka in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, based on the credible information that was made available to the Police.

HURIWA however faulted the police going by the photo evidence of what the police paraded as bomb making materials because from available empirical data, those materials are what are used during Igbo burials all over Igbo land just as the Rights group has demanded that the Nigerian Bar Association Imo State,   Amnesty International, National Human Rights Commission and other credible NGOs be allowed to assess those materials being peddled around in the media as bombs so the Police is not allowed to undermine the traditions and customs of the Igbo in their unscientific haste to announce a breakthrough on the disturbing trends of civil unrest in parts of the South East of Nigeria. 

“The Imo State Police Command must toe the line of professionalism and competency and avoid the hasty parading of persons and their demonisation as criminals when the courts of law is yet to make any binding pronouncements and moreover section 36(5) of the Nigerian Constitution says all suspects are innocent in the eye of the law until a contrary pronouncements by courts of competent jurisdiction are made and not through police propaganda in the media”. 

Insecurity: HURIWA backs Obasanjo’s call for state police, says existing security apparatus has failed

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria,(HURIWA) on Friday, supported the call by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for state police to tackle the worsening security situation in Nigeria.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, stressed that the present security architecture of the country has failed, and there is no need to live in denial about it. 

HURIWA wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari undermined the agitation for state police because he thought the Northern Moslems have upper hands in the command and control of the police and in its hierarchical structure. But unknown to President Muhammadu Buhari the overwhelming and skewed domination of the Moslem Northern Nigeria of the police and other internal security institutions did not stop the North from becoming the hotbed of Islamic terrorists because some of those in control of these security infrastructures compromised National security interest due to their extreme Islamic affiliations to terrorists and left the North to become the points for smuggling of sophisticated military grade weapons by Non State actors of Fulani ethnicity. 

HURIWA cited the many terrorist attacks in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, and the entire North-East with the most recent one by the Islamic State of West Africa Province in the Ardo Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State where the insurgents claimed it bombed a drinking spot of “a gathering of infidel Christians”. Several lives were lost, and several others were injured in the explosion.

Also, HURIWA cited the abduction of 80-year-old founder of the Solid Rock Kingdom Church, Apostle John Okoriko, Akwa Ibom State, with the hoodlums demanding a ransom of N100m for his release.

HURIWA said with the rising spate of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, bank robbery, ritual killings, rape cases, herdsmen attacks, amongst other vicious crimes, the creation of state police must be quick and the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari must be responsive about it.

According to reports, Obasanjo on Wednesday, said, “Our situation in Nigeria concerns everyone, particularly the case of terrorism. The case has gotten over the issue of community police. It is now state police. It is from that state police that we can now be talking about community police.”

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The general state of insecurity all over Nigeria and especially the crime of kidnapping and terrorism have become widespread because Nigeria is living a lie by claiming to be practicing federalism while the federating units do not legally have powers to control the security institutions.  

“Although there are some leeways that may be explored in the constitution for the states to create security vigilante but these crimes of kidnappings for ritual purposes and for ransom payments need to be stamped out. Also, terrorism must be stamped out. It is long overdue. 

“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was right that state police is the way forward as the existing security apparatus of the country has failed just as President Muhammadu Buhari has woefully failed in his constitutional role of protection of lives and properties. 

“There has to be a police reform. Nigeria must recaliberate and restructure urgently so the states have express powers over the security of their domains.

“The executive and the legislature must join hands together and impose stiff penalty of death by firing squads on convicted kidnappers and terrorists. The judiciary should also join this effort through the speedy dispensation of justice within weeks. 

“Governors like Babagana Zulum should also stop accommodating terrorism through nonsensical and irrational amnesty granted to so-called repentant insurgents whom they claim surrender their arms after killing, kidnapping and raping thousands of innocent Nigerians. Such things as amnesty is intolerable and condemnable as it would buoy more terrorists and kidnappers to continue their heinous crimes knowing well that they would be granted amnesty later in the future. Granting amnesty to bloody terrorists without letting the law take its full course is a sabotage of the Nigerian Constitution”.

“There must be stringent measures against terrorists and kidnappers to serve as deterrent and send strong signals to the enclaves of those Jihadist enemies of Nigeria who suck the blood of Christians while the President, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force and others look away.”

Aprll 22, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

It’s sad soldiers who should fight Kaduna terrorists are protecting Fulani cows in Ondo – CSO

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria,(HURIWA) on Wednesday, said it is very unfortunate that soldiers who should be deployed to confront savage terrorists overrunning Kaduna State are wasting away in Ondo State, protecting Fulani cows.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, described as a blatant misplacement of priority, the deployment of soldiers in the entire Southern region of Nigeria including the South-West and South-East zones for purposes such as protection of herders and their cattle.

The group urged the military authorities to recall a sizeable percentage of troops posted to Southern Nigeria and redeploy them to Kaduna to combat bloodthirsty terrorists who have daily invaded the North-West state in the last two weeks, wreaking unprintable havoc including ghoulish killings, bombings and kidnappings.

According to news reports, terrorists killed 17 soldiers and wounded 40 others in an attack at a military base in Polwire, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna this week. This was barely a week after the marauders bombed an Abuja-Kaduna train, killing scores and injuring hundreds while many are still unaccounted for. 

The insurgents numbering over 200 had also invaded the Kaduna International Airport, killed an airspace worker and injured many other airport staff, even as they forced a plane from taking off from the airport. Many pockets of gruesome and macabre attacks have been recorded in the last two weeks in Kaduna. The death toll emanating from Kaduna in the last two years is concerning with over 2,000 murdered and over 5,000 killed by terrorists hitherto labelled bandits.

But just as the terrorists are unfortunately overrunning Kaduna, classified a war zone by Governor Nasir el-Rufai and presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, men of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure are gallivanting in Ondo, demanding the release of Fulani cows seized by the Ondo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun Corps for violating the state anti-open grazing law.

Reacting in the statement released on Wednesday, HURIWA’s Onwubiko described the deployment of soldiers in relatively peaceful states of Southern Nigeria as a misplacement of priority.

Onwubiko said, “It is an established fact that Kaduna State is a war zone going by the carnage committed by terrorists in the last two weeks, especially and going by the description of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai; as well as presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina. 

“The onslaught by audacious terrorists is unprecedented in the entire North-West and akin to the Boko Haram/ISWAP ferocious attacks in the North-East.

“However, instead of deploying most of its men to the theatre of war to stamp out terrorists overrunning Kaduna State and having a field’s day, the Nigerian Army, sadly, is more concerned about the safety of trespassing cows than the thousands of innocent Nigerians killed by insurgents in Kaduna State month in, month out. This is most unfortunate.

“This sort of misplacement of priority abound in media reports of the past seven years because the Federal Government in Abuja elevated cows to a sacred position far above the sanctity of life. This is why the combat readiness of soldiers are declining because they are being deployed for roles they are unsuited for due to selfish reasons. This is indeed why rampaging Fulani terrorists are killing soldiers and bombing down military jets and nobody is called to account.

“HURIWA urges the service chiefs to face reality and put away ethnic sentiments. Kaduna needs all the soldiers that the military can muster now. War, aside weapon sophistry, is also about numerical strength. Apparently, the terrorists are recruiting en masse. For 200 terrorists to invade an airport at once? Who knows how many hundreds of them bombed the Abuja-Kaduna train, amongst other vicious attacks. The service chiefs should act fast and deploy soldiers lagging away in Southern Nigeria to Kaduna, the new theatre of war in Nigeria. The earlier the better. A word is enough for the wise, the elders say.” 

Aprll 6, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

Defend Yourselves Against Your Attackers: SOKAPU Youth Charges Southern Kaduna

Following renewed attacks across Southern Kaduna, the Youth wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has charged the people of the area to defend themselves against those they tagged “criminal Fulani terrorists” operating in the area.

In a statement signed by the National Youth Leader, Comrade Isaac John and made available to Middle Belt Times, the group described as worrisome the continued attacks, killings and destruction of properties in the area.

The statement reads in full;

Brethren, we must have observed the reccuring Spade of attacks and killings taking place across our communities in the last few weeks.

Last night Maraban Agban Kagoro came under attack with scores killed, properties and houses burnt by the same terrorists Fulani herders who have vowed to die attacking our kinsmen, one thing we are sure of is the unarguable fact that they shall continue to labour in vain.

it is however worrisome the manner with which this criminals continued to operate with no deliberate attempt by security bodies to intervane or stops these criminal Fulani terrorists from attacking our communities.

The Youth Wing of Southern kaduna People’s Union is again at this time compelled to say Government both at the State and Federal levels have failed to put an end to this mindless attacks on our people and arrest perpetrators.

We are calling on all Sons and Daughters across Southern Kaduna in the face of these cruel killings to defend yourselves in the proportionate ways and manners your lives seems threaten.

We urge us all not to sit and watch while our kinsmen are led to slaughter like lambs, our lands taken, our children butchered and our sisters and daughters raped to death.

Let us be reminded that every inch of Land in Southern Kaduna is an inheritance from our forefathers and remains the exclusive entitlement of our offsprings.

We cannot abandoned or cedes an inch of Southern Kaduna to any coward at this time, not when our forefathers and fathers died protecting it.

It is a noble duty we hand over same which was handed to us to our offsprings.

Brethren fear not the sounds and echoes of death.

For if God is with us, who can stand against us.

“For the LORD our God is he that goeth with us, to fight for us against our enemies, to save us.” Deuteronomy 20:4

Above all brethren lets continue to look up to the heavens from where cometh our help.

God bless Southern Kaduna

End of statement…

On Sunday, terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen launched an attack on Mararaban Agban Kagoro in Kaura local government area of Kaduna state, killing scores and destroying dozens of houses. As at the time of filing this report, the exact number of persons killed and properties destroyed are yet to be ascertained.

EXCLUSIVE: Kaduna Community Accuses Nigerian Military of Burning Their Houses & Churches

…Ward Councillor Said army had confrontation with Boko Haram terrorists in the area

Residents of Galuwyi in Kunai Ward of Chikun local government area of Kaduna state have accused the Nigerian army of carrying out what they described as arson in their community on January 29, 2022.

A resident of the community who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity, citing fears to his life and safety, recounted his terrible experience on the day of the ugly incident.

“It happened on the 29 of January at about 12:25pm while we were in our respective houses relaxing.

“Suddenly we began to hear gunshots in our community close to the river that is between us and the neighboring community, Kabrasha. We saw men of the Nigerian army coming into our community in large number. People began to run helter skelter for their lives.

“Later we got to know that the army were exchanging gunfire with bandits, the army obviously overpowered the bandits and the bandits ran away while the army crossover into our community.

“When they got into our community, they began to set our houses on fire.” He recounted

The source further recalled that after setting their houses, stores and even animals on fire, the army went to two Churches in the community; Baptist and Assemblies of God Churches and set both ablaze.

“After setting our houses, stores and cattle on fire, the military shifted to the two churches in the town Jimrewa Baptist church and Assemblies of God church. In the assemblies of God church, they gathered all the musical gadgets and burnt them down while the Baptist church was burnt down completely leaving nothing to be removed from it.” He said

This reporter also gathered that residents of Galuwyi are currently seeking refuge in Sabon Gaya, a suburb of Kaduna while a few aged men and women who couldn’t leave due to their old ages are left in the burnt community under harsh weather conditions.

This reporter reached out to the Ward Councillor of Kunai Ward, Honorable Lawal Danjuma who also confirmed the incident but claimed that the military were chasing terrorists in the area.

“I don’t have much details but what i can tell you is that there was a confrontation between the soldiers and Boko Haram in the area which led to the military allegedly burning down the communities to avoid the terrorists from hiding there.” Danjuma said.

When asked about the burning of two churches in the community, the Councillor said he doesn’t have much information on that but promised to speak to a local vigilante member from a nearby community who was with the military on the day of the operation.

Efforts to get more information from the Ward councillor proved abortive as he claimed he hasn’t been able to reach the vigilante official whom he claimed was with the military on the day of the incident.

Galuwyi community is situated around the Kaduna river which shares boundary with Niger state, a state where Boko Haram terrorists hoisted their flag last year.

This is not the first time a community in Chikun local government is accusing the Nigerian Military of destroying their homes and churches.

In December 2020, Kasnawi village in Chikun ward accused the Nigerian Airforce of carrying out aerial bombardments on their community, killing six people and injuring four. Several houses were also destroyed by the Airforce on the same day.

Recalled also that in May 2020, an Assemblies of God Church was hit by an Airforce munition in Kabarashi community.

Reacting to the incident, the Kaduna State Government said that the damage done to the Assemblies of God’s Church, Kabarashi village in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state was not intentional. The commissioner of Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan said the munitions that hit the church were targeted at bandits terrorising the state and said that Governor Nasir El-Rufai, had directed that the damage be assessed for necessary action.

Report linked Serving Police, Military Officers to bandits – El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state has said that the report of a preliminary investigation linked some serving police and military officers to terrorists terrorizing parts of the State.

The governor, who spoke on Thursday during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Media Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the investigation revealed that the security officers have some form of communication with the assailants.

He, however, declared that the government is yet to have a clear evidence to back the report of the investigation, stressing that a lot of works still needed to be done.

He said, “we’re concerned and it’s not impossible to have infiltrators. As I alluded to when I was answering this question, the preliminary report of (investigation into) Boko Haram financing also showed some links to bandits and pointed to some police and military officers in service as having some communication or connection with the bandits.

“So, there’s always that risks, in any system you have traitors and we are concerned about that. But till date, we don’t have any firm evidence of that. I think a lot more work needs to be done”.

According to the Governor, there is the urgent need to stop the financing and logistics chain of the bloodthirsty bandits, stressing that the amount of money the bandits are making from ransom is enough to destabilize Nigeria.

BREAKING: Terrorists Kill Chief, Wife, Raze Down Church, Entire Community in Southern Kaduna

… Mass exodus of indigenous people, leaving behind their ancestral land in control of herdsmen, residents say.

Ramin Kura, in Badurim Sama ward, Kauru local government area of Kaduna state was on Saturday morning attacked by terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, who killed the community Chief, Gowon Mutua, 55 and his wife Hauwa Gowon 48. Middle Belt Times can authoritatively report.

The terrorists were said to have invaded the agrarian community which shares border with Zangon Kataf local government where terrorists have been launching consistent attacks since January 2022, at about 4:30am local time on Saturday, February 12, shooting sporadically as residents run helter skelter for their lives, a source told Middle Belt Times.

The assailants who are said to be armed Fulani herdsmen burnt down the entire village including the only church there says Bulus Kazah a resident of the community.

Ramin Kura is on the axis of Kauru local government area occupied by Atyap natives.

Our correspondent gathered that there is ongoing mass exodus of frightened villages who have been worn out by sustained killings, arson and looting of their assets since 2015.

“The new attacks have taken a turn for the worse as the killers now move in groups of over 300 each armed to the teeth with advanced weaponry.” Kazah said

The affected Atyap villages in Kauru that are leaving their ancestral land in large numbers includes; Kampany, Surubu (mixed with Surubu natives), Unguwan Yabani, Unguwan Audu, Akoriko, Unguwan Yayok, Ramin Kura, Hayin Kogi and Unguwan Israela.

Their neighbors in Unguwan Zaki ward, Zangon Kataf local government area that are also moving out include; Zargwai, Sabon Kaura and Unguwan mamuda.

It is estimated that not less than 10,000 people are displaced by this development.
This will put in the control of the herdsmen thousands of hactres of land belonging to the indigenous peoples.

BREAKING: Gunmen assassinate Kaduna’s Geographic Information Service Director

Gunmen numbering five in the early hours of Friday assassinated the Director of Operations of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), Malam Dauda.

According to reports, the attackers breached the security of the victim’s house located in Barakallahu community in Igabi Local Government Area of the state where they killed him.

Our correspondent gathered that the assailants simply killed the victim and took off leaving all valuables in the house.

The gunmen also attacked a nearby community possibly to divert the attention of members of the community as they conducted their nefarious act. There was however no casualty in the other attack.

Confirming the incident to Daily Trust, the District Head of the community, Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi, said the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Rigachikun and Barnawa who are residents of the community have visited the scene of the crime.

He said, “This is simply a case of assassination because they went to only the victim’s house, killed him and left the community, they did not take anything in his house neither did they attack the guard and his wife.

“Even the other village that was attacked, no life was lost, they just caused commotion and left. We feel they just did that to make it look like an attack.

“We have been facing various security breaches in the community informed by the vast ungoverned land taken over by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), you know we were in court, we won at the high court but they appealed the case at the Appeal Court here in Kaduna.”

He called on the state government to mediate between the community and the NAF over the vast land which he said is a hiding place for criminals.

Newsbond

BREAKING: Many Feared Killed By Terrorists in Fresh Southern Kaduna Attack

Scores of people are feared killed and many houses burnt after terrorists suspected to be herdsmen militia launched an early morning attack on Zaman Dabo community in Zaman Dabo Ward, Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state on Wednesday, February 9.

A source who confirmed the attack on condition of anonymity told this newspaper that the attack started around 3:30am and lasted for over two hours.

Many houses are reported to have been destroyed by the attackers while many people are also alleged to have been killed during the attack.

As of the time of filing this report, the villagers are still gathering and searching for dead bodies, another source who gave his name as Monday told this reporter on telephone.

“We cannot tell the number of people killed or injured because it is too early.

“Search operation is still ongoing by members of the community.” He said.

Zangon Kataf local government and neighboring Kaura have been under repeated attack in the last one week.

Recall that on January 30, Kurmin Masara community in Zangon Kataf was attacked and no fewer than 16 people were killed by terrorists. Few days later, on February 3 eleven people were killed in communities around Kagoro in Kaura local government area.

Details later……