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Tag: Banditry

  • Boko Haram/Banditry: Nigerians in Diaspora seek working solutions, partnership from US, UK others

    The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has challenged the United States, United Kingdom and European Union to support Nigeria with a working solution against Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.

    In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Agwu Oyekwe and 13 others on Friday, ANPE believes threats posed by the terrorist group has assumed both regional and international dimension, such that only collaborative effort can bring it to a halt.

    While acknowledging the sacrifices of the Nigerian government, the group said that much more can be achieved with added support of world’s superpowers.

    In the regard, ANPE expressed disgust at the UK, US and EU for seating on the fence, routinely issuing statements rather than a proactive action each time a carnage and atrocity is committed by the terrorists.

    According to the group, the solution to the crisis is by arresting the sponsors and promoters of conflict in Africa.

    Consequently, ANPE charged the US, UK and EU to identify and prosecute those culpable in the various acts of killings in Nigeria and profiling of such persons for the world to know.

    It further urged the EU to expose countries selling arms and ammunitions to the Boko Haram/ISWAP group in line with international best practices

  • Northern youths warn politicians behind senseless killings, sponsored protests

    Northern youths warn politicians behind senseless killings, sponsored protests

    The group made up of about 35 CSOs and groups across the north said the youths are getting impatient with induced insecurities and partisan protests by those responsible for the carnage in the land.

    Speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon in Abuja, President, Comrade Abu Mohammed said these partisan merchants of violence and killings are contracted to cause unrest, agonies and bloodshed in parts of the north.

    According to the group, their misioon is to claim power from the backdoor, as typified by their constant sermons for the sack of serving Service Chiefs.

    After several failed attempts, the Northern youths revealed that they now resorted into discrediting President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration; blur the successes of the Service Chiefs to find public justification to compel Mr. President to sack his hard working and dedicated security team.

    The group, however, warned these disgruntled politicians to quit their “devilish agenda”.

    While throwing its weight behind the president, CNGG added that it is very much satisfied with the Service Chiefs, as a unified front is required to surmount the various security challenges.

  • Plateau attack: We’ll defeat terrorism, banditry – Buhari Insists

    Plateau attack: We’ll defeat terrorism, banditry – Buhari Insists

    President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned attacks that resulted in the death of 15 persons in Plateau State, assuring that terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and associated crimes will be defeated.

    “In Plateau State, gun men launched yet another bloody attack, killing innocent citizens. This shocking and sad incident should be condemned by all citizens,’’ he said.

    Buhari, in a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, reiterated that “revenge, hatred and violent attacks should have no place in a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious society as we have in this country.’’

    The President called on community and religious leaders to counsel the youths on the need for peaceful co-existence.

    Buhari sent condolences to families of the victims, government and people of Plateau State, and urged security agencies on assignment in the state to rediscover their act and stop, forthwith, the return of the ugly days of tit-for-tat.

  • Banditry: Committee indicts five Zamfara Emirs, 33 district heads

    Banditry: Committee indicts five Zamfara Emirs, 33 district heads

    The committee on finding solutions to banditry in Zamfara, on Friday said it has concrete evidence that five Emirs in the state were complicit in the spate of banditry in which more than 6,319 men and women were killed.

    The Chairman of the committee and former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar also said 33 district and several village heads were also working with the bandits.

    Abubakar, who made the disclosure while submitting the committee’s report to Gov. Bello Matawalle in Gusau on Friday, did not publicly named the traditional rulers.

    He added that 10 soldiers, some policemen and civil servants were discovered to have had their hands smeared in the banditry which lasted for about a decade in the state.

    The former IGP however said some security personnel and one emir distinguished themselves creditably in the protection of the people.

    He said that the committee had recommended that the emir be conferred with national honour while the officers should be promoted to their next ranks.

    Abubakar said the 300-page report would be relevant to other state governments and the federal government in addressing security issues in the country.

    The committee was inaugurated by Gov. Matawalle in July and its investigation covered between June 2011 and May 2019

  • Banditry: 372 kidnapped victims rescued, 240 guns recovered in Zamfara

    Banditry: 372 kidnapped victims rescued, 240 guns recovered in Zamfara

    The Zamfara peace initiative has so far recorded massive success with 372 kidnapped victims rescued, while 240 guns were surrendered by repentant bandits, according to Mr Usman Nagogo, the state’s Commissioner of Police.

    Nagogo, Chairman of the Peace Dialogue and Reconciliation Meeting, disclosed this on Sunday at a meeting held at Bakura.

    He, however, said that the bandits terrorising some states in the country were not only Fulani herdsmen.

    “The bandits comprised of people from many tribes. It is not restricted to Fulani as is being assumed,” he said.

    He accused the outlawed vigilante groups, popularly known as “Yansakai”, of being responsible for the various security challenges, saying that the attacks on communities were reprisals to extra judicial killings by the group.

    Nagogo expressed satisfaction with the success so far recorded since the inception of the committee.

    “In the past, some of the major markets were closed due to insecurity, but today, all our markets are open and Fulani people move freely without any problems.

    “With this development, l can say that over 90 percent success has been achieved,” he said.

    The Police official urged people to support the peace dialogue committee with prayers and information that would widen its reach and facilitate the success of its mission.

    He said that the meeting at Bakura would open room for more consultations with various parties involved in the crisis, including the outlawed “Yansakai”, Fulani leaders, royal fathers, among others.

    “I was in this state as a Deputy Commissioner of Police some years back. I later left, but was sent back by the Inspector-General of Police to carry out this assignment.

    “I was involved in this kind of negotiations during the previous administration. l am in the picture of all security challenges faced by this state.

    “This is the fifth emirate we have visited for reconciliation meeting. We have seen positive results from the peace dialogue and consultations.

    “In all the emirates visited, we have not recorded any problem; it has been a success story,” he said.

    In his remarks, the Emir of Bakura, Alhaji Bello Sani, thanked the state government for initiating the peace dialogue committee and appreciated the committee for their visit to the emirate.

    “We have not witnessed much security challenges in this area. We don’t have the outlawed vigilante group (Yansakai) here and have never witnessed bandit groups or camps, but we are happy to be part of the peace process,” he said.

    Sani, who noted that the problems of Fulani herders/farmers clashes had not been much in the area, blamed the rising conflicts on population explosion and unemployment, as well as government policies on grazing reserves.

    The monarch appealed to Zamfara government to expand the Ruga settlement project to cover all the 14 local government areas so that all areas would benefit.

    Alhaji Mainasara Ganarawa, Chairman, Miyetti-Allah Association, Bakura Local Government chapter, in a remark, regretted that cow theft was still rampant in spite of the peace initiative by the state government.

    “Our herders are facing problems of cattle rustling and lack of adequate grazing reserves to feed their animals,” he added.

    Alhaji Abdullahi Yahaya, Sarkin-Noma of Bakura, in his remarks, said that farmers would continue to maintain the long existing peaceful relationship with Fulani herders in the area.

  • Rate of kidnapping, banditry, cultism in Nigeria decreasing drastically – IGP

    Rate of kidnapping, banditry, cultism in Nigeria decreasing drastically – IGP

    The Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, on Thursday declared that the crime rate in the country has dropped drastically in comparison with two quarters ago.

    According to him, banditry, kidnapping and cultism have decreased.

    He said that President Muhammadu Buhari urged the security agencies to keep up the good work towards achieving a near-zero crime rate in the country.

    Adamu briefed State House correspondents at the end of security chiefs meeting with the President at the State House.

    He also justified the current dialogue between bandits in the North East and the State governors and the security agencies.

    This, he said, would bring peace to the area.

    He pointed out that dialogue and negotiations were used by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua to solve the militancy problem in the Niger Delta that resulted to the amnesty programme for the repented militants.

    He said that the use of kinetic action sometimes does not solve a problem rather negotiation and dialogue bring peace.

    He said,” We just finished security meeting and we have noticed within this quarter that the security situation in the country is stable, we make comparison of what has happened in the previous quarters and this quarter and we saw that there is tremendous decrease in kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and even acts of cultism.

    “And you can see the situation in Northwest, banditry has reduced tremendously, kidnapping also has gone down and we have statistics to back it.

    “And having noticed that, we have been charged by Mr. President to do more. He wants to see a near-zero crime society in the whole of the country. So we have been charged to do more than what we are doing now in fact, in the whole of the country.

    “Recently, there have been series of peace initiatives especially the Tiv/Jukun crisis, the federal government came up with initiatives by bringing the leadership of the two states and their traditional rulers and we have been asked to support that initiative and see to it that dialogue succeeds and that there is peace between the Jukun and Tivs.

    “We have also been charged to increase security along the pipelines to make sure that crude oil theft is stopped completely because the loss that the country is facing in that area is not tolerated. So we have been charged to increase our security activities in that direction to make sure that crude oil theft is stopped completely.”

    On what was done differently to improve security situation in the present quarter, he said “What we have done apart from the peace initiative and the dialogues that we came up with through organization of security summit. If you remember we went to the Northwestern zone of this country, we sat down with the traditional rulers and all the governors and the leadership of Miyetti Allah and they identified some of the challenges that are fuelling kidnapping and banditry.

    “Those challenges were looked into to the extent that the bandits and kidnappers have decided to release their captives and surrendered their arms, that has contributed and also those that have refused to accept the peace initiative, we have been able to identify their camps especially Abuja/Kaduna road and along Birnin Gwari Niger axis and we went to the camps of these kidnappers and we dislodged some of the camps.

    “In fact, in the security briefing we gave specific numbers of the camps that we have destroyed and the casualties the bandits recorded as a result of that. So that has also made them to surrender and some of them relocated. We are following those that have relocated to know the new location and also engage them.”

    He said that reduction of crime was noticeable in Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna States.

    “For instance, in June, 2019, a total of one hundred and eleven (111) murder cases were reported nationally, while it
    reduced to ninety-nine (99) in July and eighty (80) in August.

    “One hundred and eighty-three (183) armed robbery incidents were reported in June, with the rate dropping to
    one hundred and twenty-seven (127) in July and ninety-six (96) in August, 2019.

    “Similar decline was noticed in the rate of kidnapping with one hundred and thirty-four (134) incidents recorded in June, which declined to one hundred
    and twelve (112) in July and further declined to eighty-three (83) in August,” he said

    Speaking further on peace initiatives, he said “When we are talking about peace initiative, there are a lot of things that we take into consideration, you give out something to get something. And this peace initiative has not started with the bandits in the North Western part of this country with the bandits.

    “If you remember some years back we were having issues in the Niger Delta and those issues kinetic actions could not solve the problem until amnesty and peace initiative came up and what we had had in Niger Delta had gone.

    “So, I think part of strategy to deal with challenges in terms of either security or war, there is peaceful negotiation too. So it is not that you are a bandit and on the course of the banditry you committed crime you must be punished when there is peace initiative going on. If you refused to accept the peace initiative of course you have to face the consequences.” he said

    Asked if he was comparing the Niger Delta militant agitation to the killings by bandits in the North West, he said,” It is not like comparism per se but giving an example how a negotiation and dialogue can bring peace.

    “Even in terms of war, you go into dialogue so as to achieve certain level of peace, that is what I am trying to say. So if dialogue can bring peace, why do you have to use force, that is what I am just trying to say.”

    On the increasing car theft and burglary in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, he said,” Currently we have about 20 different points where we monitor on daily basis through CCTV Cameras within FCT and we are expanding it to cover the remaining areas.

    “So one of the strategies to stop all this type of crime whether it is car theft or burglary or anything that has to do with theft in the city is the use of CCTV and constant patrol for prevention.”

  • Banditry will soon end in Sokoto -Tambuwal

    Banditry will soon end in Sokoto -Tambuwal

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Tuesday restated his administration’s commitment towards ending banditry in the state.

    Tambuwal spoke on Tuesday when he hosted the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8th Division Nigeria Army, Sokoto, Brig. Gen. Aminu Bande who paid him a courtesy visit.

    He said that negotiations are ongoing between government and the bandits to address banditry in the state.

    “God willing, the acts of banditry being perpetrated in Sokoto State will soon be nipped in the bud.

    “Our ongoing negotiations with bandits is yielding good result, as the menace is generally reduced across the affected areas in the state,” Tambuwal said.

    The governor assured the Acting GOC of government’s continuous support and cooperation with security agencies for effective discharge of their duties.

    Tambuwal expressed optimism that the Acting GOC’s vast experience would come handy in finding lasting solution to the current security challenges confronting the zone.

    Earlier, Bande assured the governor of the division’s resolve to end kidnapping, cattle rustling, and banditry in the zone.

    He thanked the state government for its support to the Nigerian Army as a result of which the 8th Division became a reality.

  • Banditry: Villagers protest killings, drop corpse at Zamfara Government House

    Banditry: Villagers protest killings, drop corpse at Zamfara Government House

    Over 100 villagers from Jirrawa community in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara on Saturday besieged Government House, Gusau with a dead body alleged to have been killed by bandits earlier in the day in the village.
    Spokespersons of the community, Muntari Abdullahi and Muhammadu Sani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the bandits invaded the village around 10am and shot sporadically in the air.
    “We later realised that they have already killed Shafiu Inusa on his farm while he was trying to apply fertilizer on his plants after the rains of last night,” Abdullahi narrated.
    He said, the deceased was just recovering from a gunshot wound inflicted on him when the bandits attacked the village four months ago during which Shafiu’s father was murdered.
    “It is exactly four months now when his (Shafiu) father was killed in a similar attack, because the wives of the old man are completing their four months stay at home as mandated by Islam.
    “We gathered from his farm neighbour and brother that initially, one of the bandits appeared before them saying anyone who knows he is guilty should run and who is not should stay.
    “Shafiu refused to run and when the others numbering over a hundred arrived, they opened fire and killed him instantly, this is his remains that we brought here for the governor to see and know that this peace initiative is not working for us,” he said.
    On his part, Sani said: “these criminals have always passed by our village without any threat or harassment until the last few months.
    “So far, they have attacked us more than eight times and have killed many people.
    “Even while on our way to Gusau today, we received phone call that they also killed one Bala Danrabi, a vigilante leader who has always fought the bandits.” he said.
    Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Nagogo expressed shock over the attack, but told NAN that such occurances are expected during conflict resolution.
    “I can confidently assure you that the peace initiative by Gov. Bello Matawalle which I lead in the state is working as can be seen in the release of kidnap victims and the repentance of several bandits, but that does not mean that the hardened criminals are no longer there, they are the ones that will perpetrate this now.
    “I am in constant contact with bandits groups in all the bushes and our discussions have been positive leading to the peace we are now enjoying.
    “On this Jirrawa issue, I have spoken with my contacts around the area and the repentant bandits promised to meet tomorrow and fish out the perpetrators of this latest attack and hand the culprits over to me; this is in the spirit of the partnership we are now enjoying.” he said.
    The CP however said that there would not be any fire power against the bandits for now because of the ongoing peace initiative but that the command would await the outcome of the meeting to be held tomorrow by the repentant bandits.

  • Insecurity: Buhari seeks collective West African response to terrorism, banditry

    Insecurity: Buhari seeks collective West African response to terrorism, banditry

    President Muhammadu Buhari has called for a joint strategic response by West African leaders to combat the menace of banditry and terrorism afflicting the region.

    He made the call today at the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abuja.

    President Buhari, who chairs the regional economic bloc, said the problems distracted from the progress being made in enthroning good governance in the region.

    “Despite the overall appreciable progress we have made, particularly in the field of political governance, our sub-region continues to face considerable security challenges. We are all witnesses to the recurring incidents of inter-communal clashes, herders-farmers conflicts, banditry and terrorist attacks in all our countries.

    “These threats, you will agree with me, have consequences on the peaceful co-existence between our communities and peoples as well as their livelihoods.

    “This unrest also undermines all our efforts in achieving full regional integration. It is, therefore, necessary that we act collectively to end this menace in the interest of regional stability and wellbeing of our people”.

    Buhari offered condolences to the families of the victims of terrorist attacks, “banditry and inter-communal clashes perpetrated by some misguided elements in our societies.

    “We shall not relent in our efforts to protect our peace loving people and their properties, while vigorously sustaining the war against terrorism and criminality”, he said.

    Buhari called for a collective response to send a message to the terrorists and bandits that the region is united.

    “Taking into account the transnational nature of the threats confronting us, the need for the adoption of a common strategy at the national and regional level to combat them, has become imperative. By so doing, we will reinforce our actions and resources for a more effective response to protect our citizens and secure our common space.

    “While I acknowledge that several initiatives and measures have been taken in our respective countries recent developments have shown that we must cooperate more effectively to achieve our goals.

    “We should send a strong and unified message to the perpetrators of violence that we are resolute in our collective determination to confront and defeat them”.

    Five West African countries, the G5 in the Sahel zone are already collaborating to combat the security menace. Nigeria also has the Multinational Joint Task Force, that includes, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin, that is also working, focussed on the Boko Haram war..

    Buhari thanked leaders who he said had skilfully conducted the political mediation missions entrusted to them. He did not mention the conflicts, but the region has political problems in Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Togo.

  • Banditry, kidnapping: Army deploys drone in Ondo, Ekiti forests

    The 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army (NA) Owena Barracks, Akure, has deployed the use of technology to fight the scourges of kidnapping and banditry within the Ondo and Ekiti States axis.

    The Brigade Commander, Brig-Gen Zakari Logun Abubakar, disclosed this on saturday during the launching of a high tech drone device in the Osi community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State to combats the criminal activities in the vast forest of the two states which has become a den of kidnappers.

    Abubakar explained that the drone, a Phantom 5DGI, procured by the Army would assist the military formation of the Anti-kidnapping Squad in identifying the movement and activities of suspected bandits, kidnappers and other criminals.

    According to him, the device which would also help the survey targeted areas in the two states is the latest technology in aerial surveillance and can cover up to seven kilometer radius with capabilities of recording and transmitting report back to the base.

    He said “There are thick forests in these states and that is the advantage some of the criminals are using because some of the places you cannot penetrate them easily. So in line with the Chief of army Staff directive to have a responsive Nigeria Army in the discharge of its constitutional role, we decided to use technology in addition to the Anti-kidnapping Squad. We have two of this drone, one for Ondo and the other one for Ekiti State which would easily help us to fight the issue of this kidnapping headlong.”