Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaimanu Adamu, the Emir of Bauchi has ordered the immediate dethronement of four village heads in Toro Local Government Area of the state.
A statement signed by the Secretary to the Bauchi Emirate Council, Malam Shehu Muhammad, and made available to journalists informed that the dethroned village heads were those of Buruku; Turkunyan Biru; Gamawa and Zomo villages.
It said that the affected village heads were found complicit in abetting criminal elements in their respective domains, leading to restlessness in the area.
According to the statement, the decision on their dethronement was taken by the emirate council after they were found guilty of hosting unknown strangers suspected to be criminals in their domains without notifying their superior officers or security agents.
It added that the affected village heads were also found culpable of destroying forest resources at the Lame/Burra Game Reserve, which the statement noted posed a threat to the security of the area.
Terrorists on Sunday night killed two people in Maskoro Goriko under Ligari in Kakau Ward, Chikun local government area of Kaduna state, North west Nigeria.
The Councilor representing Kakau Ward, Honorable Richard John Kpedason who confirmed the attack to Middle Belt Times said the attackers arrived the community at about 11:30pm local time and began shooting sporadically.
“They came in around 11:30 in the night and shot two people dead. one person is still missing as i speak to you.” Kpedason said
The Councilor who visited the community on Monday morning further said that the network shutdown in the area is making things more complicated both for the security forces and the residents.
“The attack in this my Ward are getting too much and the network shutdown is making it impossible for the people to call for help whenever they sight the bandits nunlike before.
“Same thing happen last Sunday when 66 members of the Baptist church where kidnapped.
“When the people saw the bandits they couldn’t call the military for help despite the fact that the military is not too far from the area.” He said
Honorable Kpedason also called on the state government to deploy more security personnel to the area to forestall future attacks.
The names of the persons killed were given as Daniel Ishaku and Mallam Ali while one Bamaiyi Bawa was still missing as at the time of filling this report. call the military
It will be recalled that Middle Belt Times reported yesterday that two of of the 66 church members were killed by their captors under unclear circumstances.
The Youth wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union SOKAPU has called for the immediate release of journalist Luka Biniyat from detention. Biniyat, who is also the National spokesman of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union was on Thursday arrested by men of the state investigation bureau in Kaduna over a news article he wrote for a US newspaper, Epoch Times.
In a statement signed by its National Youth leader, Isaac John and made available to journalists on Monday morning, the group said it is ‘greatly pained’ by the development.
The statement reads in full;
The SOKAPU YOUTH WING is greatly pained and disturbed by the events leading to the arrest of the spokesperson of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) Mr Luka Biniyat.
Without wanting to dive into details or attempting to throw blames considering the parties involved.
The Youth Wing is unequivocally urging the petitioner Mr Samuel Aruwan The Honorable Commissioner of Home and Internal Security to as a matter of necessity withdraw his petition and ensure the release of Mr Luka Biniyat.
This is imperative because his petition no matter how justifiable is uncalled for and stands to achieve little or nothing but to showcase the regions dirty linings in public.
We must learn to deploy our mights in defense of the Southern Kaduna People and not in victimization of the Southern Kaduna People.
Southern Kaduna at this time is faced with existential threats and therefore needs all hands on deck not behind bars.
We therefore call on all and sundry to water down the embers of hate and embrace Love, as Love and Unity is the only panacea to development and prosperity.
Terrorists who abducted 66 worshipers last Sunday at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State have killed two of the worshipers.
This was revealed by Rev Joseph John Hayab, Chairman of CAN kaduna State chapter, during a media briefing with journalists in Kaduna on Sunday.
He said the terrorists opened fire on five of the worshipers on Saturday, 6th November, 2021 and killed 2 while 3 others sustained sever injuries and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
“The lives of Kaduna abducted worshipers are in danger and require urgent intervention of government and security agencies.”
“The insecurity in Kaduna state has continued to grow beyond our imagination and is threatening the peace of the nation.”
“CAN Kaduna State is appealing to well meaning individuals, organisations, those in authority, especially the federal government and the international community to come to our rescue.”
“The evil we are experiencing is more than what an ordinary person in Kaduna and Nigeria can handle.”
“CAN is appealing to all Christians and people of our state to be united in fighting this evil and be watchful,” Hayab said.
It will be recalled that terrorists invade Emmanuel Baptist church Kakau Daji during service and shot two worshipers before abducting the entire congregation on Sunday last week.
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has said some persons working with bandits have confessed that they are being sponsored by politicians.
The governor, who said this in an interview with Lagos-based RadioNow, did not disclose identities of the politicians exposed by the bandits.
He also spoke on how some key political figures worked against the amnesty programme of his administration.
“After we initiated the dialogue, you know it was supposed to be a collective effort — between the government, the people of the state and other political gladiators. Unfortunately, when the government is trying to make sure we have peace, some political elites are thinking they don’t want us to succeed.”
“So they’ve been making so many unprecedented comments about the dialogue issues and the reconciliation. And some of them that have connections with the criminals have been telling them all sorts of things so that they shouldn’t believe the government’s amnesty and reconciliation.
“We have some records. Some of the informants that were arrested, we have over 2000 informants under the custody of security agencies, and some of them have opened up and indicted so many people. They said some of the politicians are the ones funding them, telling them the state and federal government are not serious on what we promise to them.”
At least 5 people have been confirmed killed in an explosion at the Kubwa Village Market in Abuja. The explosion occurred when a kerosene tank exploded with the woman and her child confirmed dead around 7:30 PM on Friday.
The Police Command in Niger on Thursday confirmed the abduction of four women by gunmen at Haske Dabara community, Agwan Gwari Kwamba of Suleja Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Monday Kuryas, confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.
“Yes it has happened at about 1 a.m. last night and already anti-kidnapping team, the army and vigilante had been deployed to rescue the victims.
“We will do everything humanly possible to apprehend all those miscreants undermining the peaceful coexistence among residents.
“I am appealing to residents, especially rural dwellers, to come forward with credible information on movement of strange faces among them to the nearest security personnel for necessary security action”, he said.
The commissioner solicited more working support by coming forward with intelligence information that could aid the security personnel deployed across the state in the ongoing fight against kidnapping, banditry and other criminal elements in the state.
An eyewitness said the gunmen entered the community at about 12.46 a.m. with gunshots that scared the residents.
Terrorists suspected to be ISWAP group on Tuesday evening abducted several passengers aboard 8 passenger vehicles along the dreaded Maiduguri-Damaturu express way after laying ambush on the road.
Vanguard news reported that the incident took place close to crossing point of terrorists near a bridge between Tamsu Kawu and Ndamdu town at about 3PM.
Vanguard also reported that most of the victims were freed by the terrorists after reciting some verses from the holy Qur’an confirming their Muslim identities. Three victims suspected to be Christians due to their inability to recite verses from the Qur’an were held by the terrorists.
Tamsu Kawu is just about 80km drive from Maiduguri and located north west, which has hitherto been razed down, before the former governor Kashim Shettima spent millions of naira, reconstructed and resettled it.
One of the victims who is a retired Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Borno State confirmed that attack to vanguard under condition of anonymity.
He said, “it was when I was interrogated and the terrorists learnt that I was a diabetic patient, coupled with my old age that saved me, as the Commander of the terrorists told his members to allow me join those who were set free at about 7pm.”
He revealed that the terrorists during interrogations told them that they were among those who participated in the bloody killing of leader of Boko Haram sect, late Abubakar Shekau, adding that, they are members of the ISWAP group who are determined to protect the rights of innocent civilians.
“I have to thank Allah (God) for saving us from the hands of terrorists today.
“Our vehicle came into road ambush where several passengers and motorists aboard 8 different vehicles were abducted and taken to a nearby river at about 3PM
“After series of interrogations, many of us were released accept three persons who were detained for reason not based known to us.
“The terrorsists after interrogating us said that they were amongst those who killed Abubakar Shekau. They also said that they are out to protect all innocent civilians, accept those who chose to follow different faith or identified as infidels. ” he said.
The freed victim however said that he has since been reunited with his family, after the incident which lasted for about four hours.
Fulanis have spread into multiple villages in Kwara, with their population gradually outnumbering indigenes, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has cried out.
Mr AbdulRazaq, who spoke in an interview with Vanguard, attributed the influx of Fulanis to the ban on open grazing imposed by Southern governors.
The governor claimed that the open grazing ban had further heightened Kwara’s security challenges.
“Security challenges are huge, especially with insecurity in the North-West and the declaration by Southern Governors to ban open grazing,” said the Kwara governor. “Once they pronounced it and set a date, we saw a migration of herdsmen coming in, to the extent that if you go to Kwara South, Kwara North now, in some villages, the Fulani have moved in. They are more in population than the indigenes.”
Mr AbdulRazaq argued that legislation enforcing the ban could not be adopted, explaining that open grazing is a constitutional right enshrined in the constitution.
His comments came as Southern governors like Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, among others, continue to sign the anti-open grazing law in their respective states.
The 17 southern governors had met on three different occasions this year in Lagos, Asaba and Enugu, agreeing to enact the anti-open grazing laws to tackle worsening insecurity.
However, justice minister Abubakar Malami said the southern governors’’ open grazing ban is illegal.
According to the attorney general of the federation, the controversies surrounding open grazing are a constitutional matter that amending the constitution will address.
He advised the 17 southern governors to approach the National Assembly for the needed backing to effect the ban on open grazing.
A notorious bandits’ leader, Dogo Gide has been reportedly killed in his hideout by some of his men who collaborated with another notorious bandits’ group led by late Damina.
He was being treated for gunshot injuries earlier sustained in a battle at Kuya Bana forest of Zamfara State.
According to a source, Dogo Gide’s death has become a great advantage in the fight against armed banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling in Nigeria.
Recalled that Dogo Gide had been terrorising many communities in Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, katsina and Kebbi States over the years.
He killed another notorious bandits’ leader, Buharin Daji some years ago.
“At the height of his notoriety he controlled several hundred of heavily armed men and has camps in Kuya Bana forest, Zamfara State, Goron Dutse forest, Dogon Gona forest in Birnin Gwari and Shiroro LGAs, respectively in Kaduna/Niger States and Kafarma forest.
“Dogo Gide was the brain behind the kidnap of one hundred and twenty six students of Bethel Baptist Secondary School, Maraban Damishi, chukun Local Gvernment Area of Kaduna State on 5th July 2021, where over thirty students and several staff of Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri were abducted about four months ago”
“They regained their freedom after several millions of naira was paid as ransom by the parents and well wishers of the abductees.
“The present disagreement between different factions of the bandits is a welcome development and is coming on the heels of relentless clampdown on armed bandits by our gallant security forces. Several of the most notorious armed bandits’ leaders have either been killed or arrested by the security forces,” the source said.
