The three seminarians flanked by their rector and lecturer
Three seminarians kidnapped by terrorists on Monday from Christ the King Major Seminary Fayit in Kagoma Chiefdom, Jama’a local government area of Kaduna state have been freed by their captors.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Chancellor, Kafanchan Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr Uchechukwu Okolo.
The statement reads;
With hearts filled with joy, we raise our voices in a symphony of praises as we announce the return of our Three Major Seminarians, who were abducted by armed persons from the Chapel of the Seminary at Christ the King Major Seminary, Fayit Fadan Kagoma in Jema’a Local Government Area, Kaduna State, on Monday 11 October, 2021. Barely 48 hours after their kidnap, our beloved brothers were released by their abductors. We want to thank all those that have offered prayers and entreaties for the quick release of our Seminarians and Others who are still in the dens of their kidnappers. We pray God to hasten the release of those who are still in the hands of their Captors. All our Priests are directed to kindly celebrate Mass of THANKSGIVING to God tomorrow, Thursday 14th October 2021, for the quick and safe release of our Seminarians.
Middle Belt Times had reported the attack on the Catholic owned institution situated along Kwoi-Kafanchan road in Kagoma on Monday night where some seminarians were abducted while some were injured during the late evening attack.
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.
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.
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.
No fewer than 50 gunmen invaded the Nasarawa State Local Government Service Commission, making away with a safe box full of valuables, and an AK-47 rifle belonging to an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Sun reports that the Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Rammatu Julde, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.
Jude said the gunmen stormed the premises in the early hours of Monday at 2am, gained access through the main gate linking the offices of the Local Government Commission and the Civil Service Commission, and operated without intervention by security agencies.
“They launched the attack in the early hours of Monday at exactly 2am. During the operation, they tied down two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who were guarding the premises with a rope and collected one AK-47 rifle in their possession,” Julde reported.
“They also attempted to take away our 150 KVA generator, but they could not succeed; however, they took away the safe box where valuable documents of the Commission were kept. We are presently doing stock-taking to know what other items were carted away,” she added.
The Commission’s secretary clarified that no life was lost during the attack but appealed to the NSCDC to carry out a detailed investigation into the incident in order to be sure that there was no conspiracy between its officers and the unidentified gunmen.
The unidentified gunmen also invaded the State Civil Service Commission which shares a fence with the Local Government Service Commission and carted away two LED 32-inch televisions.
Reacting, Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC Jerry Victor, explained that, “The gunmen launched an attack on the premises on Monday morning and unfortunately carried out their plans without any hindrance.
“Two of our officers who were securing the premises were tied down with ropes and they collected e Ak-47 rifle from them. The officers have been detained at our Command headquarters here in Lafia and investigation is currently ongoing.”
The incident occurred three months after a group of armed men raided the State Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning in Lafia, making away with cash, also without interventions by authorities.
Residents of Izombe in the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State have lamented the havoc allegedly wreaked on their community by soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
The distraught indigenes told Punch that the value of properties destroyed by soldiers in their community was not less than N1billion.
According to them, soldiers who were on a reprisal attack burnt no fewer than 80 houses, many cars and economic trees.
The soldiers attached to the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Owerri, reportedly clashed with the youths of the community.
In the process, a youth was killed, two soldiers murdered, their vehicle burnt and three rifles snatched.
In a revenge mission, the army invaded the community in many vehicles, including Armoured Personnel Carriers and allegedly destroyed many properties.
The development caused the indigenes of the community, especially women and children, to flee the area.
A community leader, Chinedu Nnadi, had said the damage the army had done to the community would not be addressed in the next 30 years.
Nnadi, who is the pastor in charge of He Reigns Chapel, Owerri, said the people had become refugees in neighbouring communities.
A man, Kennedy Ike, whose house and that of his two children were razed during the operation, said his life had been “made miserable”.
The army spokesperson for the 34 artillery brigade, Obinze, Owerri, Joseph Akuga, said the military hierarchy in the state would address the press on the issue.
Gunmen, who kidnapped three students of St. Albert the Great Institute of Philosophy in Kagoma Chiefdom, Jema’a Local Government Area of the state, are demanding N50 million ransom to free them.
Mr. J.F. Dabo, an assistant to the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) told P.M.News on Tuesday.
He said the bandits have contacted the father of one of the three captives to make the demand.
The Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige had debunked earlier reports that scores of students were captured by the gunmen on Monday evening.
“Three seminarians were kidnapped by suspected kidnappers on Monday evening,’’ he said.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, in the state has directed the deployment of more police personnel to cordon the nearby bushes with a view to rescuing the victims.
“All efforts are on high gear for their rescue,’’ Jalige said.
Dabo, who is also the National President of Catholic Youth In Politics Forum, also confirmed that three students were kidnapped.
He said five students were initially taken by the eight attackers, said to be Fulani militiamen.
But they dropped two of the captives on their way out of the school. One of them had a cut on his head and was bleeding.
Dabo said the attack happened at about 7pm after mass at the chapel.
‘They met five stragglers at the chapel, when hundreds of others had departed to their hostels or the dining hall.
“They probably targeted the mass at the chapel. But they came after it ended. The situation could have been worse”.
He also disclosed that one of the three captives is asthmatic.
St. Albert the Great Institute of Philosophy, a seminary is owned by the Catholic Church. It is also called St Albert The Great Institute of Higher Education.
Says attack on Catholic Seminary is a continuation of ongoing genocide
Leading civil Rights Advocacy Platform-:HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has tasked the President as the father of the nation to kindly halt the massive attacks and killings of Christians in Southern Kaduna by suspected armed Fulani terrorists just as the group said the attack in kagoma, Jema’a local government area council of Kaduna state targeting a Roman Catholic Senior Seminary fits into a pattern of genocides that have gone on for over five years since president Buhari came on board.
HURIWA learnt that gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits had attacked St. Albert the Great Institute of Philosophy, a seminary belonging to the Catholic Church. The seminary is situated at Fayit community, Kagoma Chiefdom in the Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The attack, according to sources, led to the abduction of an unspecified number of students. HURIWA gathered from the media that the suspected kidnappers in their large number stormed the school premises on Monday evening with sophisticated weapons, surrounded the school, and overpowered the students who had just finished their evening prayers. According to one of the students, who narrowly escaped the bandits, they had just finished evening prayers in the church when the gunmen attacked with sporadic shooting and whisked the victims away. He added, “The other students who left early and were already having their dinner at the dining hall on hearing the gunshots escaped in disarray to different directions and were able to save themselves from being kidnappers.” He explained that some ran to the nearby river for their dear lives, stressing that the incident put the entire school into confusion as those that were lucky ran away from the gunmen. The student who sought anonymity said, “In all, it is estimated that an unverifiable number of students were kidnapped.” Another source who spoke on the incessant kidnapping in the state appealed to the government to do the needful by protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.
HURIWA condemns the attack and the persistent and systematic decimation of Southern Kaduna Indigenous Christian population and described these targeted violence and killings as well crafted, well coordinated and well executed genocides which President Buhari must stop and bring the perpetrators to face justice.
HURIWA said there are recorded evidence of many Captured and Occupied Southern Kaduna Territories just as HURIWA said that below are indigenous rural Christian communities of Southern Kaduna that have been sacked by rampaging armed Fulani militia and displaced to various communities and IDPs camps. These villages are now under the full occupation of Fulani some for over two years listed bellow according to LGAs and Wards. 1 KACHIA LGA ( from 2019) (i) Doka ward Chikwale, Idum, Muruchi, Kwasau Legede, Kafeyawa, Amale, Chikwale, Unguwan Pa, Gidan Sambo, Gidan Para, Unguwan Muruchi, Unguwan Dutse, Baware kasa, Gidan Duna, Sabon Gida Duna, Opase, Gidan Sunday, Gidan Yarima, Gidan Auta, Bakin Garma, Gidan Ladan, Maigari, Gidan Wakili, Pago, Oshowodo, Gidan Peter. (ii) Ankuwa Ward Ungwan pah (iii) Bishini Ward Koron, Kurmin iya, Ungwan Gwari, Kurmin Iya (iv) Kateri Ward Rishi Numbers of communities displaced in Kachia LGA = 33 Communities from 4 Wards 2 Kajuru LGA (from 2019)
(NOTE: On the 1st June, 2021, a few men from Idazo, Ungwan Shaba and Magunguna villages took risk and went back to clear their farms, after it was established that the occupying armed herdsmen have left. They are still there at the time of compiling this report. Past attempts were met with death)
(ii) Tantatu Ward Ungwan Makware
(iii) Idon Ward
Edanu, Ungwan Mudi, Ungwan Rana, Ifele, Ungwan Gora
Number of Displaced Communities from Kajuru LGA = 24 from 3 wards 3 CHIKUN LGA (from 2019) (i) Kunai Ward
Number of Displaced and Occupied rural communities = 8
(NOTE: some of the displaced persons here have started returning from last year. But majority do not still feel that there is an assured safety and security of the lives after past attempts had ended in regrettable tragedy. The herdsmen are notorious for breaking violating agreements reached) 5 Kauru LGA (2020)
(i)Badurun ward
Kikurunkuwa
(ii) Kamuru Ward
Kiziti, Kikpene, Kirim,
Number of Displaced villages = 5
As at June 5th, 2021, at least 115 communities scattered in 5 LGAs of Southern Kaduna have been displaced and taken over by armed Fulani militia unchallenged by the state. There are at least 100,000 IDPs leaving in several camps in Southern Kaduna and with relations in other parts of the state. Those close to Plateau and Niger State have fled there.
Source: Official records of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU). Date: 5th June, 2021 Sign: Luka Binniyat. SOKAPU Spokesman and obtained by HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA.
The Rights group said the attacks and genocides in Southern Kaduna contravene several sections of the Nigerian constitution such as Section 14 stated thus: 14(1) The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice. (2) It is hereby, accordingly, declared that: (a) sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority; (b) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government: and Section 33 stated thus: 33(1) Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.
Besides, HURIWA appealed on President Muhammadu Buhari to halt these premeditated attacks because section 218 (1) of the constitution says: “The powers of the President as the Commissioner-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall include power to determine the operational use of the armed forces of the Federation. (2) The powers conferred on the President by subsection (1) of this section shall include power to appoint the Chief of Defence staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and heads of any other branches of the armed forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly. (3) The President may, by directions in writing and subject to such conditions as he think fit, delegate to any member of the armed forces of the Federation his powers relating to the operational use of the Armed Forces of the Federation. (4) The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the regulation of – (a) the powers exercisable by the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation; and (b) the appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of members of the armed forces of the Federation.” HURIWA said it has begun drafting another petition to be sent to the INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT IN THE HAGUE NETHERLANDS so the suspects and Kaduna State government officials are charged for CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.
Almost a month after he was kidnapped by gunmen along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, the Emir of Bungudu in Zamfara State, Alhaji Hassan Attahiru, remains with his abductors even after the payment of N20 million ransom.
The emir was abducted when bandits waylaid a convoy of vehicles he was travelling in from Kaduna to Abuja on September 14.
He was said to be on his way to join Zamfara government’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in the United States.
Confirming the incident at the time, the Kaduna State police command said unspecified number of commuters were abducted along with the monarch in the daylight attack which occurred around Dutse village on the highway.
Daily Trust gathered that the abduction was carried out by gunmen loyal to banditry kingpin Boderi Isiya, operating from Riyawa, Buruku and Sabon Birni forests in Kaduna State.
A source familiar with the case said the bandits’ kingpin had shifted the goalpost after agreeing to release the emir upon payment of agreed ransom.
“He is now insisting that ransom must be N100 million, instead of the initial amount agreed,” the source said, explaining that family members and negotiators have been warned to be wary of the kingpin as he had previously vowed not to release the monarch even with ransom paid.
The emir, officially recognised as Sarkin Fulanin Bungudu, is known for tough stance against bandits in his domain and support for local vigilantes.
Boderi is responsible for a number of atrocious attacks in Giwa, Chikun, Igabi and Zaria local governments, including the abduction of students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, in March.
Reactions have continued to trail the decision of the Nigerian government to shutdown telecommunications network in states affected by terrorism in the North-West region of the country. States such as Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and even neighboring Niger in the North Central have had telecommunications network shutdown in several local government areas.
The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), the agency saddled with the responsibility of overseeing and managing all communication architectures in the country ordered the shutdown of telecommunication networks in early September 2021 citing the war against terrorists elements in the region as yardstick.
In Katsina state, the President’s home state for example, at least 13 local government areas believed to be under the control of terrorists had telecommunications network shutdown since early September. This came after initial denial from the NCC that such was going to happen.
Neighboring Zamfara state also shutdown telecommunications network in the entire state for several weeks while Sokoto state did the same for 14 local government areas.
Niger state and also Kaduna state implemented network shutdown in parts as telecommunications networks in several local government areas were also shut down all in the guise of fighting terrorists.
While the states and federal government wants Nigerians to believe that the network shutdown is actually achieving the desired results, the realities on ground prove otherwise as the terrorists have not relented in their nefarious activities since the shutdown.
Even though the shutdown may have achieved some results in terms of diminishing the terrorists’ capacity to operate, the demerits outweigh the merits as over 300 people have been killed across the five troubled states of Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger since the shutdown was implemented in September. A figure many like myself believe to be too high considering the fact that a much publicised military operation is ongoing in the region.
Abductions have also continued unabated as the terrorists have devised means of communication such as using satellite phones to bypass the effects of the shutdown or using network architectures in Niger Republic to carry out their operations.
In an interview with dailytrust, a popular Nigerian based newspaper, terrorists commander, Shehu Rekeb boasted that the shutdown of telecommunication networks in the area does not stop them from operating as they now use thuraya satellite phones which do not require the conventional GSM network to function. Rekeb also said that certain GSM networks still operate in some parts of the states where the shutdowns were in effect.
“There are places you can make calls if you have Glo aand Airtel lines,” he told the Daily Trust September 13. This further raises questions on the sincerity of the telecommunications network shutdowns in the area.
A resident of Zamfara who relocated to Kaduna in late September told me under the condition that his identity must be anonymous that some areas still have globacom and Airtel networks making it possible for the terrorists to still communicate and launch attacks on communities. His testimony further confirms the claim of Shehu Rekeb.
Aside from the huge negative impacts the network shutdown is having on citizens who rely on networks to carry out their daily legitimate productive activities, the shutdown has also failed to improve the security of the citizens of the region as the terrorists still carry out deadly attacks on communities almost on a daily basis. This week alone over 30 people have been killed in separate attacks in Zamfara and Katsina communities despite the ongoing military operations and network shutdown. On 26 of September, 38 people were killed by terrorists in Madamai and Abun communities in Mallagum district of Kaura local government area of Kaduna state. In the same week another 60 were killed in Sokoto and Niger communities in separate attacks.
Even the military fighting the terrorists in the North West are not exempted from the negative impacts of the network shutdown. On 11th of September 12 military personnel paid the supreme price when terrorists took advantage of the shutdown and launched a deadly attack on a forward military operation base in Mutumji, Zamfara state. Reacting to the attack, a too military source told dailytrust that the shutdown made it impossible for the troops to communicate amongst themselves when the terrorists attacked.
“While the jamming of GSM in Zamfara has gone a long way in taming the bandits, it also has a negative effect on troops because communication among them was also extremely restricted,” the source said.
“Most of the foot soldiers relied on normal phone networks instead of any of the specialised communication gadgets that should be deployed during operations such as the one going on in the North West.
“Only the top commanders have military radio or walkie-talkie, meaning those in the frontlines would only use their personal mobile phones which are no longer accessible.
“The bandits took advantage of this and attacked them at their forward operation base. As you can see, the attack was launched on Saturday but it only came to the fore days after,” he said. Another source said there was the need to deploy specialised communication gadgets for the troops.
“The ban on communication in Zamfara and parts of Katsina is not bad in its entirety but the military high command should have taken note of the adverse effect on troops.” The military source said.
In the same vein, another security source told Dailytrust in September that the telecommunications network shutdown was not ‘well-thought-out and bypassed the due process of getting clearance from the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, who oversees cyber security’.
In as much as some sessions of the Nigerian media would want to paint a scenario that the network shutdown and ongoing military operations in the North-West have achieved the desired results, citizens in the areas are daily counting their losses in the forms of burying their loved ones and inability to even send SOS calls when under terrorists attacks due to absence of telecommunication networks in the area.
Socioeconomic activities that rely solely on telecommunication network facilities to function have also been crippled in the region forcing many to be out of jobs in an economy where inflation is currently on an all time high.
The Federal government must as smarter of urgency and national importance review the ongoing suspension of telecommunication networks in the North-West region to ensure necessary measures are out in place to achieve maximum results.
Dealers of the so-called thuraya satellite phones in the country must be investigated and possibly prosecuted for aiding and abetting terrorists activities in the country.
