EXCLUSIVE: How Attack Helicopter Secured Terrorists And Sprayed Southern Kaduna Villagers With Bullets

By Beevan Magoni & Steven Kefas

I woke up on the 5th of June to see “Owo” trending on Twitter, thinking maybe the governor of the state Rotimi Akeredolu had done something a typical Nigerian government official would do, which would not surprise me, and, to which I didn’t care to take a look at. I found the real story after going through my WhatsApp status updates from contacts. Indeed, it was a horror, the pictures that confronted me.

Two days later, I found out that, three hours after the Owo attack, something worse happened in one of our villages in Southern Kaduna. The military shot at unarmed villages that were under Fulani militia’s attack and secured the militia. 

THE JOURNEY

As is the norm with me, some stories strike more than just a chord. Some things should not happen in a democratic society, and even if not so, the 21st century should present us with better opportunities for conflict resolution.

I left Abuja a couple of minutes to 7 PM after the day’s tasks have been completed and headed to Kaduna. One notable thing on the road that night was an accident with survivors in it, but no one dared stop to help them, because of the fear of kidnappers and the elements of destabilization in that death trap called Abuja-Kaduna Express Way. Even my soul felt pity for those trapped in that vehicle.

Minutes later would be our turn. We were two in the vehicle when at 9:45 PM, we had a flat tyre that left us stranded on that road for an hour. I got to Kaduna minutes past 11 PM, crashed at a friend’s place, and continued my journey to the destination where a Nigerian Military helicopter was said to have shot and killed people.

KADUNA-CROSSING-MAIKORI VILLAGE

At first, I thought the attack happened somewhere close to Kaduna city, and at most, somewhere around Kajuru which is about 60KM from the city. Wrong!

First, my guide told me he was not in the village where the attack happened any longer. He had moved on to be with the IDPs in Kaduna and asked me to contact another survivor who would lead me to the village. The second guide was in Kachia, and had to take a cab to Crossing where we met.

“Oga Sir, are we leaving the car here?” he asked.

“No! Why should we leave it here bro?” I inquired.

“It is because the road is not good and the place is far…” 

We would go on to travel in the car for convenience, but the motorable road came to an end at Maro which is about 25KM at least, from Crossing. We crossed into Ugakala, drove past quite a number of settlements for almost an hour, and decided to park at Chibiya village when our guide noticed how difficult it was navigating such a jungle. He pleaded with his kinsmen he met on bikes, borrowed their bikes, and rode on one with the cameraman while I and one passenger of the other bike rode on the other for another 30 minutes till we got to Maikori village.

HOW THE ATTACKS HAPPENED

A Sunday is a resting day for these agrarian communities. After Sunday service, it is a well-known fact that Southern Kaduna Christian communities see Sunday as a holiday where you don’t have to work or toil for anything. It is mostly all about going to Church, fellowship, coming back home, resting, or going to the village markets to relax and, or catch up with old friends and families.

According to one of the eye witnesses from Maikori Village,

“We were resting under a tree when we heard gunshots from Ungwan Sarki. We immediately mobilized to know what was happening and were told Fulani men had attacked the village. In the process of mobilizing ourselves to go help our brothers, we saw an influx of men on motorbikes. There were over 100 motorbikes carrying two people each, at least!”

Eyewitness

Another eyewitness said,

“They came in their large numbers. They were many, with sophisticated weapons and we were ready to confront them. It is our village. It is our streams and rivers. It is our farms. It is our bushes. Even though they used to graze here, they don’t know these places better than we do. So we were strategizing on how to defend ourselves when all of a sudden a helicopter came and started to shoot at us, while the attackers were left to burn our houses!”

Eyewitness

An elderly woman in her 70s said, “We thought the helicopter was there to help us but it was not. It opened fire on us as we ran. We were running and hiding under shrubs. If this were to be a dry season, the casualty figure would have been worse than this.

“Up till now, we don’t stay in our houses anymore. We are here because we are hungry. We stay in the bushes and not in the houses. We just came to get some corn to grind and then go back to the bushes where we are hiding. We fear they would come back.”

70 years old survivor

Multiple eyewitnesses confirmed the helicopter chased them into the bushes, shelled them, and left the terrorists to loot their barns and burn any structure they could. This operation that lasted for two hours had two people killed and one injured. Maniya Inuwa was killed by the terrorists, while Titus Yusuf was shot and killed by the helicopter. Shadrach Joshua was also shot by the helicopter.

Every effort to see Joshua was not successful, but luckily, he called me on the phone past 8PM just as I had arrived in Abuja. Apparently, Joshua woke up that morning, was taken to the hospital for treatment, and later hidden in the bush perhaps the Fulanis come back to re-attack the village again.

The attack on Ungwan Sarki claimed two lives, at Maikori two lives and one injury from the helicopter’s shelling, and thirty four lives at Dogo Noma. 

The people at Dogo Noma were in a market square having a good time when two men arrived on bikes, surveyed the environment, and left. Minutes later, they were rounded up in the market. Those who tried to escape were shot down while quite a number of them were captured numbering twenty-nine. To date, others cannot be accounted for.

KADUNA STATE GOVERNMENT’S ACCOUNT

The Kaduna state government had kept mum for four (4) days since the Sunday, 5th of June’s attack in Dogon Noma, Maikori, and Ungwan Sarki communities. The government only decided to speak when it became obvious that Southern Karuna was trending on Twitter and other social media platforms. The helicopter story was also spreading like wildfire. 

The government speaking through its Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan acknowledged that there was an attack on Sunday 5th June but didn’t explain why it took her four days to comment. The government took time to mention the names of the victims killed during the attack but denied that the helicopter shot at the villagers. It said the helicopter belongs to the Nigerian air force and was on the ground to engage the terrorists.

What the state government has not been able to show to the world is proof that terrorists were killed by the so-called military helicopter. It is baffling to say that a military attack helicopter was on the ground to repel terrorists yet not a single terrorist was killed.

This is not the first time victims of Fulani terrorist attacks are alleging sighting helicopters during attacks. In 2018, communities in the same Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state narrated how they sighted a white-painted helicopter landing in the bushes near them prior to the attacks. There was a video to that effect, where community members narrated their ordeals in the hands of the terrorists.

In June 2020, a captured terrorist confessed during interrogation in a viral video that a certain white painted helicopter was supplying them with weapons for operations.

In February 2022 a certain helicopter flying at low level shot a teenage boy in Kagoro, a community near Kafanchan, the boy survived with an injured arm.

The onion of proof that the terrorists are not in possession of air assets lies in the Nigerian Air Force. The Air Force must as a matter of urgency clear the air with satisfactory evidence otherwise the testimony of victims and survivors will continue to shape public discussions on terrorist attacks in Nigeria as it has never been heard that terrorists used planes or helicopters to visit their victims.

Two weeks before the Sunday 5th June attack, a retired senior intelligence officer had told MBT in confidence about the presence of a certain white painted helicopter which he said was suspicious and that it might be used for nefarious activities. 

He said the white chopper is often seen landing at the Air Force Base in Kaduna. Even though he could not tell much about the ownership of the chopper, he said going by its flight nature and timing, he suspects the chopper was being used to either provide cover or facilitate the operations of terrorists or used to kill targeted people in the state.

With the statement earlier released by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan crediting the Nigerian Air Force Base with the helicopter being a rescue helicopter, it is left for them to verify who was the pilot of the helicopter, who gave the command for the helicopter to go to the rescue of the people which ended up killing one person and injuring another person and also providing cover for ground terrorists to kill and burn down houses.

Also, every helicopter has a visible number for easy identification, but this specific helicopter which is white in color does not fly close to the ground as would do other military helicopters. In Zangon Kataf for instance, the presence of the same white helicopter signals that an attack is imminent. This can be confirmed by residents of the local government which leaves us with no option but to request the Nigeria Air Force Base to do a proper investigation to identify this helicopter and its owner.

If the Nigerian Air Force Base cannot investigate, then we call on the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology to do due diligence. Both NAF-Base and NCAT are in Kaduna and are supposed to be privy to information on any flight within the territory in question!

RECOVERED HIGH CALIBRE AMMUNITIONS FROM TERROR SCENE

Middle Belt Times correspondent came in contact with some high calibre ammunitions recovered from the scene of the attack by the villagers. The sizes and shapes of the ammunition look different from the conventional AK-47 bullet shells usually found after attacks in southern Kaduna and elsewhere. These ammunitions look bigger than normal.

Middle Belt Times reached out to a retired senior Air Force  officer who agreed to share his views on the matter on condition of strict anonymity. When he sighted a photograph of one of the ammunitions recovered from the attack site, he said the bullets are either 30 or 50mm calibre round mostly fired by machine guns mounted on attack aircrafts. Speaking on the yet to be identified attck helicopter alleged to be providing cover for terrorists, the retired Air Commodore said the government could deny such allegations as long as no clear evidence to hold onto.

The government could deny the helicopter because there are many around. Even the Nigerian Air Force has had some close incidents with unknown aircrafts. What would be overwhelming is the aircraft shot down else anything you put out can be denied.

Retired Air Force officer.

He went further to state that such ammunitions have no business in a rural community not at war.

Such high calibre weapons do not have any business in Kajuru except if the terrorists were also flying attack aircrafts or riding on armoured vehicles.” He said.

Retired Air Force officer…

Middle Belt Times carried out further checks on the 30 and 50mm calibre round and discovered that such ammunitions are typically not used  against personnel, but rather as an anti-materiel or armor-piercing round. “Rounds of this size can be effective against lightly armored vehicles as well as fortified bunkers. 30 mm is also a popular calibre for shipboard close-in weapons systems, such as the Russian AK-630 and Dutch Goalkeeper CIWS.” [Wikipedia].

Similarly, the 50mm calibre round is used typically as anti-materiel or armoured-piercint ammunition mostly mounted on attack aircrafts. The question begging for answer is, what could such dangerous weapons be doing in an agrarian community not at war with anybody?

CONCLUSION

While this investigation may not go down well with the powers that be, Middle Belt Times is not out to foment trouble. We are asking every stakeholder to get to grips with themselves and do the needful. Yesterday, it was AK47 riffles. Today, it is a helicopter. We do not know what befalls our communities tomorrow, maybe, chemical or biological weapons.

A stitch in time saves nine!

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).

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.

War Jets Bomb Terrorists leader’s Wedding Ceremony in Katsina

Scores of armed terrorists have been eliminated when military jets of the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) shelled missiles at a wedding feast organized for one of Katsina top Bandit Leaders, PRNigeria reports.

Among those killed include one Sule, a notorious bandit leader, who is a brother to Lalbi Ginshima, also a ‘killer’ bandit.

The onslaught by troops of the Nigerian military Air Task Force took place at Unguwar Adam Village in Dan Musa Local Government Area of the State.

PRNigeria was told by intelligence sources in Katsina, that credible intelligence was on Monday received by air troops that bandit-terrorists had migrated from Dan Alikima to Unguwar Adam for the wedding of one of their key leaders.

“As such, the Air Component dispatched an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to monitor activities at the location.

“The aircraft later confirmed the intel to be accurate having sighted over fifty (50) of the bandits indulging in the festivities.

“Consequently, situation report was relayed and a NAF aircraft was scrambled by to undertake the mission,” a top military intelligence officer said.

According to the operative the ISR aircraft remained overhead the location and vectored the fighter jet to a new location along a river line North of Unguwar Adam where the bandit-terrorists had moved to.

He said: “On arrival, the aircraft observed over 50 bandit-terrorists and engaged them with rockets and cannons in successive passes.”

A local source told PRNigeria that the armed bandits suffered heavy casualties as many of them were decimated, while others sustained various degrees of injury.

“The terrorists suffered heavy casualties as many as 27 were decimated while others sustained various degrees of injury. Among those killed include bandit leader Sule who is brother to major bandit Lalbi Ginshima,” the source concluded.

(PRNigeria)

DPO Feared Killed as Terrorists Attack Nasko Police Ptation In Niger

Terrorists operating in North Central state or Niger have attacked Nasko police station and killed the Divisional Police Officer, DPO.

The DPO, identified as Umar Mohammed Dakingari, was reportedly killed on Tuesday, alongside two other police operatives.

PRNigeria quoting a security source said that the bandit were on revenge mission after the recent attack on their hideouts and recovery of rustled cows.

“Recently a led a police team and vigilante in an operation leading to the killing of bandits and recovery of over 800 rustled cows.

“He was having a meeting with his security team for another operation when the bandits suddenly surrounded the station and started shooting sporadically.

“The DPO, alongside his personnel were ‘gunned down’ around 3pm at the Nasko Division of the Nigerian Police in Magama town.

“Though they killed the DPO, and two other policemen, other police officers who were deployed for reinforcement, however repelled the bandits, forcing them to flee with severe gunshot wounds.”

14 Vigilantes, 5 Others Killed in Terrorist Attacks in Niger

Fourteen vigilantes from Rijau local government area of Niger state who went to assist their colleagues in fighting bandits in Kebbi State have been killed.

The Nation learnt that the residents of Darin Daji in Sakaba local government area of Kebbi state were under attack of bandits and the Vigilantes sent an SOS to their colleagues in Tungan Magajiya community of Rijau local government.

The Vigilantes who went en masse to Kebbi state battled the bandits but over 52 people were said to have been killed in the attack.

The Chairman of Rijau local government area, Alhaji Bello Bako said that contrary to reports making rounds, no recent bandit attack has taken place in Rijau local government area.

“15 vigilantes were killed when they went to assist their colleagues in Kebbi state to fight the bandits who were attacking the community. The attack was nit in Rijau local government, they only went to support their colleagues and unfortunately met their death”, the Chairman told The Nation.

The Nation learnt that 52 people were killed in the attack which occurred on Monday morning in Sakaba local government area of Kebbi state which shared a boundary with Rijau local government area of Niger state.

In a related development, five people were killed and others seriously injured in  Paikpa village in Munya local government area of Niger state.

The attack which occurred at midnight on Monday saw the terrorists invade the community on motorcycles carrying sophisticated weapons and shooting into the air.

The terrorists were said to have entered the village through Luwi community.

Several cattle were rustled and unconfirmed report has it that some people were abducted.

 The attack in Munya local government area was confirmed by the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane but he did not give out the number of casualties.

“There was a raid of some Communities in the state a few days ago as they, (gunmen) entered Paikpa late on Monday during which they killed some people, abducted some people and rustled a lot of cattle.

“Men of the Civilian JTF and local vigilante engaged the bandits in battle which lasted hours making the gunmen escape into the bush”, the SSG said.

Credit: The Nation

7 Children Die In Stampede As Residents Flee From Terrorists In Katsina

Seven children have been reported dead in a stampede as residents of Shimfida, a community in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina state on Thursday, March 10, 2022, fled their homes a few hours after soldiers serving in a joint security task force were withdrawn from the community.

The soldiers were stationed at Government Secondary School, Shimfida, about 27 Kilometres from Jibia town, the local council headquarters, until their withdrawal on Thursday.The security agents had been in the community for eight years but they were suddenly evacuated from the area on Thursday without any notice to the residents in the community.

A source told Saturday Vanguard that the commotion was triggered when residents of the community heard series of gunshots suspected to be from the bandits camp, causing them to run helter skelter.

Kabir Haruna, the councillor for Shimfida ward in the local council said the presence of the security agents had provided the community a sense of protection from attack by bandits, thus the residents feared that the withdrawal of the soldiers on Thursday had suddenly made the community vulnerable.

Their fear appeared to be confirmed when they heard volleys of gunshots in the surrounding hills.

However, it was gathered from the residents that the bandits were only celebrating the withdrawal of the security agents from the neighbourhood, an indication that the coast was clear for their criminal activities.

“The presence of the security agents in the community gave the residents the courage to continue to live here despite the incessant bandits’ attack recorded in the area but since they have been withdrawn, our people felt they could no longer remain in the community without the protection of the military”, a resident said.

According to one of them, “over a thousand people from Shimfida are presently seeking refuge at Tashar Furera, a pilot primary school in Jibia town while others have escaped to Gurbin Baure, a community in Niger Republic”.

Both the police and the military are yet to issue an official statement on the development. Jibia is one of the worse hit local governments by bandits terrorrising Katsina State.

Credit: Vanguard

Sparing Bello Turji, persecuting Nnamdi Kanu hypocritical, unjust, unconstitutional: HURIWA slams FG

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Sunday, lambasted security agents and the Federal Government for being dishonest in its fight against banditry and insurgency in the country. HURIWA also accused heads of security agencies who are mostly Moslem Northerners of looking the other way as Fulani terrorists import sophisticated weapons into Nigeria through the North West with which they use to terrorise Nigerians. 

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said it was hypocritical of the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari to continue persecuting the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu; while leaving notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, to continue terrorising residents of North-West zone.

The group said Turji, emboldened by the fact that security agents have continuously failed to arrest him, granted a full-fledged interview to Daily Trust recently, detailing his criminality and his many deadly assaults on innocent Nigerians. HURIWA carpeted the National Broadcasting Commission for doing nothing even after the terrorist was granted live interview but the same NBC almost took away the licence if Chajnels television just for interviewing the Spokesoerson the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Comrade Emma Powerful. HURIWA said the current administration is full of double standards.  

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is unthinkable that Fulani bandits and terrorists continue to wreak havoc on Nigerians yet they are spared by security agents who flex muscle to victimize a self-determination agitator in the person of Kanu. 

“Whereas terrorism is a world crime, self-determination is legally recognized by the constitution and Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which states thus: “All peoples shall have the right to existence. They shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination. They shall freely determine their political status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have freely chosen.

“The persistent threats posed by armed Fulani herdsmen across the country is alarming and they are having a field day because security agents look away. The fact that till date, not a single of the armed Fulani herdsmen responsible for hundreds of deaths has been arrested, prosecuted and punished press home this point.

“Where are the 400 Bureau De Change operators indicted for terror financing? Has the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), published their names or prosecuted them for over a year now?

“It is, however, ironical that the same minister has been illegally prosecuting Kanu for over eight months now since the IPOB leader was abducted from Kenya has continuous demonised the leader of IPOB in the media.

“President Buhari, Malami, security agents must be patriotic enough to fish out Bello Turji and his gang. If a reporter without arms from Daily trust can locate Turji, what excuse does our security agents have not to bring down the notorious terrorist? A criminal who should be sent to where he belongs now grants television interviews like a celebrity because of his tribe. It is sad.

“It is again unfortunate that for about a month since brazen Fulani herdsmen invaded some communities in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, forcibly displacing autochthonous dwellers to plan permanent settlement, security agents have not arrested any of the invaders. FULANI herdsmen are busy killing citizens all across Nigeria but the Federal Government pampers them. 

“The President and the entire heads of internal security agencies who are all Fulani and Moslem northerners should blame themselves for allowing Fulani herdsmen to amass weapons of mass destruction at the disadvantage of the nation’s armed forces. 

“There should be an honest, patriotic, transparent and open investigation by the National Assembly to resolve this huge threat which may undermine the conduct of the 2023 polls.”

March 13, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

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

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.