Senator representing Taraba South, Emmanuel Bwacha, has raised the alarm that Nigeria’s territorial sovereignty is under threat following the invasion of Manga community in the Takum Local Government Area of Taraba by Ambazonia separatists from Southern Cameroon.
Coming under a point of order, the lawmaker during commencement of plenary bemoaned the killing of the village head of Manga community and some residents.
He said the invasion of the community by the separatists from neighbouring Cameroon led to the sacking of residents of Manga Village.
According to the lawmaker, Manga is 20 kilometres away from Kashimbilla Dam.
He, therefore, called on the military to immediately swing into action to prevent the eventual occupation of Manga by the separatists.
He said, “I rise to draw the attention of our countrymen and particularly our security agencies to this unfortunate incident which undermines our integrity and sovereignty as a nation.
“Takum Local Government Area houses the 23 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, and so it is my humble submission that the Nigerian Army should rise to the challenge and curb this wanton territorial expansion.
“Their (separatists) motive is yet unknown, whether they want to expand territory or lay claim for Southwest Cameroon is not yet clear.
“As I speak, a number of individuals have gone missing and their whereabouts are yet unknown. The village also is razed down.”
The Senate, thereafter, held a minute silence in honour of those killed by Ambazonia separatists from Southern Cameroon in Manga community.
No fewer than 11 people were reported killed after two communities of Yagbak and Abuyab all in Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state, North West Nigeria were on Thursday attacked by heavily armed terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen militias.
The attackers invaded the communities at about 7pm local time and began shooting sporadically from different directions as the villagers scamper for safety, a source in the community told Middle Belt Times via telephone.
A survivor from Abuyab who gave her name as Mrs Bamaiyi told MBT that the terrorists came fully prepared to inflict maximum damage on their community having attacked the community twice previously.
“They came heavily armed, we were just about rounding up having dinner for the day when they showed up and started to shoot anyhow.
“Thursday’s attack was the third we have had in recent times. They burnt down the remaining houses we were managing after the previous attacks.
“10 people were killed in our own community while one was also killed in Yagbak. Several houses were also burnt there. As I speak to you now we are at an IDP camp in Zonkwa” Bamaiyi said
Another traumatized eyewitness who gave her name as Rose said the attack threw the women and children into great fear due to the sound of sporadic gunshots.
“We all thought we were going to die, the gunshots were unusual, and the sounds were so loud that we could feel it right in our stomach.
“It was a survival of the fittest, we ran for several hours just to get to safety.” She said.
The latest attack is coming barely one month after 38 people including women and children were slaughtered in Madamai and Abun communities in neighboring Kaura local government area of the state.
The Kaduna state government had shutdown telecommunication networks in parts of the state, a decision she said was to enable security forces flush out terrorist elements operating in the state. This has turned out different as terrorists still launch coordinated attacks on communities with little or no resistance from security forces.
Journalist Luka Binniyat, the Spokesman of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) was on Thursday arrested by the police on the order of Samuel Aruwan, the state commissioner of security and internal affairs over allegations of a publication written by Binniyat which didn’t go down well with the government. The publication titled “In Nigeria, Police Decry Massacre as ‘wicked’ but make no arrest” was detailed and gave accounts of hoe 38 were killed in Madamai. In the report the senator representing Southern Kaduna was interviewed, so also the Police spokesman in the state.
Middle Belt Times, a newspaper established for the downtrodden in society has once again added innovation to its reportage. The platform said is has added language features to its website to make reading published articles easy for visitors. The platform announced the addition on Tuesday morning in Makurdi during a meeting with youth groups in the Benue state capital.
Steven Samuel, the Technical manager of the platform said the addition is to allow readers access to the same stories published on the site in different languages with just a click.
“Visitors on our site can now select either Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba or French languages to read published articles.
“This innovation is to make sure that Nigerians can effortlessly read articles without needing interpreters.” Samuel said.
Samuel also said that the platform is working round the clock to ensure that major tribes in the Middle Belt are also added to make it possible for them to read contents in their respective dialects.
“Imagen the joy for a Bajju man, a Tiv, Jukun, Idoma, Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba or Atyap man switching to their respective dialects with just one click on our website.” He said.
The platform also said that is has introduced dark and light moods on its site to cater for the needs of those with sight difficulties.
Terrorists in the early hours of Tuesday stormed the staff quarters of the University of Abuja located in Giri and abducted a professor of economics and five others.
The FCT Police Command confirmed the attack via a statement issued on behalf of the Commissioner of Police Babaji Sunday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh.
The statement reads in part:
“The CP noted that a combined team of the Police and personnel of the Nigerian Army 176 Guards Battalion were swiftly mobilized to the area to protect the citizens. Preliminary investigations however revealed that six persons were allegedly abducted into the forest by the criminals on sighting the security operatives.
“The CP, while calling for calm, further noted that the security forces are already working with the locals in the area toward rescuing the victims. He assured that the perpetrators would be arrested and brought to book.
“On this note, the Command pledges its undeterred resolve to ensure lives and properties of residents within the FCT are protected and urge them to report all suspicious movements, emergency or distress, through these numbers: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08028940883”
Armed persons suspected to be members of Book Haram on Saturday attacked a Nigerian military base in Katarko village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Security and local sources said the insurgents engaged security agents in the base in heavy shooting, forcing residents to run to the bushes for safety.
Katarko is located 20 kilometres south east of Damaturu, the state capital. The village has witnessed frequent attacks by the insurgents, resulting in loss of lives.
A security source said the terrorists drove into the village in 10 guntrucks and attacked the military formation, carting away caches of weapons and ammunition.
The source also said the military bsse was badly hit by the terrorists.
Modu Aji, a resident of Katarko who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES from his farm, said he could hear the sound of gunshots and explosions from his farm.
As a result of the attack which lasted over an hour, hundreds of passengers travelling along the road were stranded as soldiers from the checkpoint near Yobe State University blocked the road.
Some of the passengers who spoke to our correspondent said they would continue their journey as soon as the road was reopened.
Others travelling as far as Gombe, Taraba and Yola have already abandoned the route for an alternative route from Potiskum.
“Many of the drivers that are going to far places like Yola, Gombe and Taraba have left to follow Potiskum/Ashaka road but some of us that are here will continue our journey when the road is clear, ” Musa Amodu, a driver, said.
Fulani Christians have cried out over the notion by many Nigerians that the Fulani are associated with violent herders causing trouble with farmers across the country.
The Christian Fulani under the aegis of Fulani Christians Association of Nigeria, FULCAN, said it was wrong to stigmatise all Fulani as violent when such accusation has not been proved with empirical data. For this reason, FULCAN has begun a massive mobilisation effort to correct the erroneous impression about them and to create a new image for themselves and the next generation of their people.
The body has also called on the Fulani race to step out and educate their children on the wrong notion being bandied against them and free themselves from the deep-seated and widespread stereotyping and stigmatisation.
As a first step towards correcting the wrong impression, FULCAN is engaging the Fulani in Cameroon, Chad, Central Africa, Niger, Ghana, Burkina-Faso, Gambia among other West African countries with a strong message that the time has come for all people irrespective of tribe and religion to embrace peace.
Chairman of the Association, Rev. Buba Aliyu, and members of the body have already taken the message to Niger Republic where he spoke about the need to embrace peace and seek the face of God in all that they do so as to change the current state of events in the land.
He said: “The Fellowship brings together Fulani across the entire West African region. The denominations that came together to form FULCAN were SIM, ECWA, TEKAN, Anglican, EYN, COCIN, Baptist, CRCN, NKST among others and unite the entire Fulani who are Christians in Nigeria and other West African countries. We are out to educate and create this awareness that there are Fulani Christians in these countries. We the Fulanis that have accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour want people to understand that the Fulani man you see if educated properly will contribute a lot to the development of the society.”
Citing the examples of Moses and Joseph who were herders in the Bible, Aliyu said, “if you go back to history and the accounts in the Holy Bible you will discover that among those God manifested Himself to were herders. My greatest concern is that our Fulani people left education behind saying that they want to herd, forgetting that today, the world has got to a point that you don’t even see bushes any longer because of population.
“That is why we as Fulani Christians are calling on the Fulani race to step out of what they are into and educate their children on how to know God and God will also know them. By this, nobody will submit himself to go and be perpetrating evil. Any religion that says you should carry arms and go and kill your fellow brother does not know God. This is because this life you are taking belongs to God.”
The cleric added that FULCAN has an outreach arm known as Fulbe Outreach International, which propagates the gospel of Jesus Christ and also attends to some pressing challenges confronting the Fulani communities. He recalled the good neighbourliness, which existed between the Fulani and their host communities in the past, stressing, “we don’t advise or support that you go to kill people and force them out of their land so you can use for herding.
“We will be happy to see that you contribute positively in fostering peace among the Fulani and their host communities. In those days, whenever a host community was celebrating anything, the Fulani in the area would take a good and healthy sheep to such a family to use for the celebration.
“And so also if we are to hold any celebration, the locals will bring sorghum for us to use in making (kunu) local drinks, and this is the kind of brotherly living that we continue to advocate.”
“We want political leaders, religious leaders, traditional rulers to continue to speak and preach to their people for us to live in peace and harmony with one another. There is no tribe that will say he doesn’t need another tribe to exist in this world. We all need each other just like our body parts need each other. There should be dialogue and genuine forgiveness of one another.”
“Some people keep referring to the Law of Moses, an-eye-for-an-eye. But recall that Jesus while on the cross said Father forgives them for they do not know what they are doing. It is in the light of this that we are calling on the entire Fulani in West Africa to throw away those bad things they hold to heart and take the path of love so that we can educate our children to grow in the fear of God.”
Three suspected kidnappers have been nabbed following a joint raid of their hideout in forests located in Nasko Local Government Area of Niger State.
Monday Kuryas, police commissioner in Niger disclosed this to reporters in Minna on Sunday.
He said the police squad in the Nasko Division and members of the local vigilante group, numbering about 97, ransacked the Manini, Isana and Etere forest hideouts of the suspects on October 2.
“Three suspects were arrested after the raid, including one Abubakar, Aliyu Abubakar and Mohamed Aliyu,” Mr Kuryas offered. “The suspects confessed to have kidnapped one Alhaji Mohammed Bariki of Magaman Daji village, Nasko LGA where they collected N5 million ransom and one Usman Maiyana of Ibana village Nasko LGA where they collected N 3 million as ransom.”
“The sum of N 100,000 was recovered from them which was part of the ransom,” he added.
Mr Kuryas said that the command has deployed an anti kidnap squad to the area to ensure the arrest of others at large and recover their arms.
“We appeal strongly for more working support and cooperation from members of the public who should give us intelligence information that could aid in apprehending miscreants in their midst.
“We are battle ready to confront any persons or group of miscreants undermining the peace of our state, through well- coordinated security approach to enhance peaceful coexistence among our people,’’ Mr Kuryas said.
No fewer than twenty-four fighters of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been reportedly killed by Boko Haram terrorists in a recent clash.
Naija News learnt that the the two terrorist groups engaged each other in a gun duel during the weekend in Gwoza axis of Borno State.
Reports made available to newsmen on Sunday by a seasoned intelligence source, revealed that a group of terrorists affiliated to Boko Haram on Friday neutralized at least 24 ISWAP fighters at Mandra and Gaba Mountains in the Gwoza axis.
Naija News understands that a faction of Boko Haram terrorists, under the control of one Commander Aliyu Ngulde, exchanged fire with ISWAP fighters led by one Abou Aseeya, at the mountainous axis. It was further revealed that many members of the ISWAP fighters were captured alive by the rival dreaded group.
Sources who disclosed the incident and pleaded anonymity said the duel between the two terrorist organisations was a reprisal attack, fueled by an onslaught ISWAP elements had earlier launched at Boko Haram members in recent weeks.
Subsequently, ISWAP fighters on Saturday evening returned to Damboa town in an attempt to launch a reprisal attack, but their mission was thwarted by Troops of the Nigerian military.
The insurgents according to reports, stormed the Borno town in a convoy of gun trucks on Saturday.
“The camp is where hundreds of repentant Boko Haram members have been staying since they renounced terrorism,” the source said.
However, he added that troops who were swiftly deployed after a distress call engaged the ISWAP fighters.
“Though the terrorists were repelled, and their mission thwarted after a brutal gunfire, I cannot give the actual number of casualties they could have suffered,” said the intelligence officer.
Ado Namarai during interrogation by the Katsina Police command
By
Hassan Michael
An arrested bandit by name Ado Namarai has Indicted the Kaduna state Governor Nasiru El-rufai during interrogation by the police. Ado Namarai 55, an indigene of Kaura Bugaje village in Jibia local government area of Katsina state told the police that he has killed not less than 4 people during kidnapping operations around Birnin Gwari axis of Kaduna state since he joined the kidnapping gangs he claimed to be Fulanis.
The bandit made the confession in a video posted by a Freelance Journalist named Muhammed Auwal Muasu on his Instagram page; @Hausaa_fulanii and obtained by MBT. During interrogation by the Katsina state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, the bandit admitted to being part of a bandit gang operating in Kaduna state.
He told the police that prior to 4-5 years ago, he was a labourer who makes bed using raw materials from harvested maize sticks and some of his customers were bandits.
“Before I joined the kidnapping business, I was into local bed making, an improvised bed I make using sticks from harvested maize. Most times when the bandits come to buy my products, they offer me more than the cost price.
“One day, they told me that as an old man I deserve a better life and that was how they introduced me to crime.” Namarai said
in the 9 minutes video, Ado Namarai said he and his gangs were also into cattle rustling and armed robbery operations. He also confessed to killing some of their victims during kidnapping operations.
“We attacked some commuters along Mando-Buruku road and I opened fire. I killed four people and shot a fifth on the leg. We abducted ten people in total from the two vehicles and each of them paid N10 million in ransoms.” He said
At the nineth minutes of the video, the bandit speaking in Hausa language told the police that his gang members are in a place called Sabon Filli, a community along the Kaduna international airport.
“As I speak to you now, I am sure they may be watching, they are in Sabon Filli and they are well armed.
“They sometimes go into the village armed and collect goods without payment. Whenever any goods owner try to protest, they will shoot the person.
“El-rufai knows about the place. He concluded before the video ended.
As at the time of filling this report, MBT could not verify why the video ended at the mentioned of the name El-rufai or why the bandit who was obviously not under any compulsion mentioned the Governor’s name.
It would be recalled that a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Obadiah Mailafia during an interview session with Nigerian info FM alleged that some repentant bandits commanders named certain Northern Governor of being Boko Haram commander.
Mailafia was invited by the Nigerian Services the DSS for questioning over the allegations.
The former Oxford trained Central Banker died under very controversial circumstances on the 19th of September 2021 with many Nigerians of the opinion that he may have been killed.
Kaduna state since 2015 has become the epicenter of kidnappings and attacks on communities which many blamed on Fulani herdsmen militias.
last Sunday, 38 people were killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani terrorists in Madamai and Abun communities in Mallagum district of Kaura local government area of the the state. They were buried yesterday in a well publicised mass burial attended by dignitaries from Southern Kaduna.
When contacted, the Katsina state police public relations officer, Gambo Isah who interrogated the bandit for comments on the matter, he said he cannot comment on it.
“I cannot comment on the matter.” Isah said via a telephone conversation with MBT reporter
