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Tag: bandits

  • End bandits’ attacks or they kill us all – Buhari’s wife tells security agencies

    End bandits’ attacks or they kill us all – Buhari’s wife tells security agencies

    Wife of Nigeria’s President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, has challenged security agencies to quickly end banditry and other insecurity challenges in parts of the country.

    Mrs Buhari who made the call on Saturday in Katsina while distributing relief materials to over 25,000 victims of bandits attacks, said it was necessary to degrade the criminals before they end the civil population.

    “The security agents should either assist to take action or allow the situation continue until bandits finished killing our people,” she said.

    Mrs Buhari said that all well meaning Nigerians should talk on things that were going wrong in the country, so as to elicit necessary action.

    “We are not supposed to be here giving rice, milk and others items to victims of an incident during Ramadan period.

    “We should not keep silent while things are happening, thinking that if something happens today it will not happen tomorrow,

    “What happened today, will happen tomorrow, it will also happen next tomorrow if we keep silent.

    “It is compulsory to speak the truth, it is not proper for us to give highest number of votes during the general elections and allow bandits continue killing people and keep quiet.

    “We must speak on whatever is going wrong in the country,” she said.

    Mrs Buhari said that she and wives of the former governors of Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom (Sen. Godswill Akpabio), were among those who donated the relief materials to the victims.

    Earlier, the District Head of Katsina, Alhaji Aminu Abdulmumini, thanked the President’s wife for the gesture.

    He called on the government to intensify efforts toward addressing the menace.

    “These people need assistance, but they want the government to address the situation to enable them continue with their normal life.

    “Almost on daily basis, we hear sound of Nigerian Air Force fighter jets, yet, bandits are killing people, we don’t know what is happening,” he said.

    Items distributed by Mrs Buhari included rice, milk, sugar and clothes among others to no fewer than 25,988 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), NAN reports.

    The IDPs were from Batsari, Kurfi, Faskari, Danmusa, Jibia, Safana, Kankara local government areas among others.

  • Troops kill six bandits, arrest informants in Zamfara

    The Nigerian Army on Monday said troops deployed to the northwest on operation Habin Kunama III have neutralized six bandits and arrested 18 informants including a district head while on clearance operations.

    Its Acting Director of Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa said in a statement that weapons were also recovered from the bandits.

    Col. Musa said: “Troops on Operation HABIN KUNAMA III, based on credible intelligence about bandits’ movements in Kirsa and Sunke in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, have on the 20th of April 2019 continued with the clearance operation into the hinterland to clear the brigands.

    “Consequently, the troops made contact and engaged the bandits in a fierce shoot out at the bushes of Kirsa and Sunke villages which resulted in the extermination of six (6) criminals, the recovery of two AK 47 Riffles and two motorcycles.

    “Similarly, at the general areas of Doka and Mutu villages in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, troops on clearance operation also had a serious encounter on the 20th of April 2019 with a group of well- armed bandits which lasted for about two hours.

    “The brigands were armed with sophisticated automatic weapons, were overpowered by troops, forcing survivors among them to abandon their camps and logistics which were destroyed by the troops.

    “Additionally, 18 suspected informants and errand men to the bandits including the village Heads of Doka and Mutu villages were arrested.

    “The Force Commander (FC) Major General Hakeem Oladapo Otiki reiterated the resolve of troops to tackle the menace of armed banditry and other forms of criminality in Zamfara and the contiguous states of Kebbi, Katsina and Sokoto.

    “He enjoined members of the public to continue cooperating with the troops and other security agencies by providing information that will assist in dealing with bandits/banditry activities in the States.”

  • Banditry: Zamfara monarchs apologise to NAF over allegations of killing innocent citizens in airstrike

    The Chairman, Zamfara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, has apologized to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) over its recent allegations that innocent citizens were killed in the state during air strikes by personnel of the Air Force.

    The Chairman Council of Chiefs, who is also the Emir of Anka, made the apology when a seven-man high powered investigation team led by AVM Idi Lubo visited him at his palace in Anka on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the traditional rulers had, a fortnight ago, alleged that air strikes on suspected bandits camps hit at and killed innocent citizens in some parts of the state.

    The emirs spoke at a press briefing through the Emir of Bungudu, Alhaji Hassan Attahiru.

    This followed an emergency meeting they held in reaction to an earlier accusation by the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Dan Ali, that some high ranking traditional rulers were conniving with the bandits.

    The Emir of Bungudu also followed up the claim with the release of the names of some persons who were killed in the air strikes.

    The Emir of Anka, however, said “the council regrets the embarrassment caused by the press briefing because it was not targeted at the Air Force or the army but at our own son, the Minister of Defence, who wrongly accused us of complicity in the bandits activities in the state.

    “l apologize over whatever embarrassment the statement may have caused and from now, we have drawn a line, there won’t be anything like that again, and I want to appeal that care should be applied while tracking the bandits and when they run from your fire power into the community, the land army should take over so as to avoid killing the innocent.

    “Out of the 17 emirate councils that we have in the state, mistakes occurred in only four and the submissions we made were gathered in the last two years, l also want to state that nothing happened on innocent citizens in the last six months in the state,” he said.

    While speaking on the list of killed persons that was later released by the Emir of Bungudu, the Chairman of the Council of Chiefs said: “The Emir of Bungudu is not the spokesman of the council even though he read our press briefing that day.

    “The list of victims that he released to the press on a later day did not emanate from me nor was I aware of it as the Chairman, l will only take responsibility because l am the Chairman”.

    He then assured that the traditional council would continue to support security agencies in the fight against armed banditry in the state and urged the army to go and occupy deserted villages where some of the bandits were hiding.

    Earlier, leader of the team, AVM Idi Lubo, said the team was in the state to investigate the true position of the allegations in order to avoid future occurrance.

    “We have also come with condolence letter from the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, in case some innocent people were killed in our encounter with bandits.”

  • Banditry: Zamfara Govt denies knowledge of killing of innocent citizens

    …as NAF commences investigations into alleged killing

    Zamfara State Government has denied official knowledge of innocent citizens allegedly being killed during air strikes on suspected bandits camps by the air component of Operation Sharan Daji.

    The denial was made by the Secretary to the Government, Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi when he received a high powered investigation team from the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) headquarters in Gusau on Friday.

    “The report making rounds in some media outlets that civilians were killed during air strikes by personnel of the NAF in some parts of the state is not the official position of the state government.

    “l did not receive any official report to this effect, but only got to know about it in the media.

    “Instances of collateral damage are not supposed to go public but should be discussed in order to avoid future occurrence,” he said.

    The SSG said the information was “an observation from the Council of Chiefs which needs to be substantiated.

    “It is an observation by a group of stakeholders that needs to be ascertained,” the SSG maintained.

    He said, “this is not the time to share blames but we must all come together to cooperate with the security agencies to see an end to the problem of armed banditry and other security challenges facing the state.”

    Prof. Shinkafi who said that the bandits now occupied very large portion of the state in the deep forest, also explained that they smartly used their informers to evade arrival of security men at their identified locations.

    He advised communities in the state to stop concealing the bandits but rather give credible information to the security so that they would be stopped from executing mayhem on them.

    He assured that the state government would continue to facilitate all the needs of the security agencies so that they could succeed.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation, AVM Idi Lubo, said members were in the state to investigate the report that innocent civilians were killed by NAF personnel who were alleged to have been striking the wrong targets in the fight against bandits.

    “l want to make it clear that in the Air Force, especially during armed conflicts, we work under the guidance of certain rules of engagement and precision before moving against suspected targets.

    “We are here to ascertain the veracity of the allegations because when people we are trying to protect rise against us, it is not a good development, especially when we know that these pilots and other personnel put their own lives in the line.

    “The NAF is deploying all latest technology in order to be certain of existing suspicious threats before we strike.

    “We will visit the said attacked communities and sympathize with the people if the allegations are true because as humans we cannot be completely right at all times.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state’s Council of Chiefs, a fortnight ago, alleged that the air component of the on-going Operation Sharan Daji in the state shelled wrong targets and killed innocent people.

  • Insecurity: Be ruthless on bandits, Buhari orders security chiefs

    President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday ordered security agencies to deal ruthlessly with bandits, kidnappers and other criminals.

    It was at an extraordinary meeting at the State House, Abuja, where security strategies were reviewed.

    Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin briefed State House reporters at the end of the meeting that lasted for about two hours.

    According to him, the President said that no stone should be left unturned towards securing every part of the country.

    The CDS said: ”The security meeting we just had with Mr. President today (yesterday) is to review the strategy that we are adopting in confronting security issues in Zamfara State, especially, and other places nationwide. And this review strategy is to address all the issues, including kidnapping, banditry and other associated issues confronting the nation. And we are coming out with a revised strategy to handle those challenges.”

    Asked if there was any order from the President, he said: “Yeah, the marching order is for us to deal with this issue immediately and ruthlessly and ensure that all those bandits are immediately dealt with and all those issues bordering on our security are properly addressed.”

    Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, who was at the meeting, said the frequent kidnapping on the Abuja-Kaduna Road had been tackled, adding that the route has become safe for motorists.

    IG Adamu said: “I want to assure Nigerians that Kaduna-Abuja roads are now safe. We have cleared the roads, we have arrested a lot of kidnappers and in confrontation with some of them; some were fatally injured.

    “So the road is cleared. Our patrol teams, the combined security services that are patrolling the road are constantly there – 24 hours.”

    Apart from CDS Gen. Olonisakin and IG Adamu, other Service Chiefs at the meeting are; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Yusuf Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Ibok-Ete Ibas and Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno; National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director-General Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General Yusuf Bichi; Interior Minister Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau and Defence Minister Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali.

  • ALGON wants civilian JTF armed to fight bandits in Zamfara

    ALGON wants civilian JTF armed to fight bandits in Zamfara

    The Zamfara chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), has urged the Nigeria Police Force to permit the Civilian Joint Task (CJTF), to carry rifles to ease the fight against bandits in the northwastern state.

     

    Its chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, made the appeal on Wednsday in Guau,

     

    during a Stakeholders Security Town Hall Meeting with the acting IGP, Mohammed Adamu.

    He said that members of the CJTF, who were recently recruited by the state government to complement the effort of security agents, were conversant with the terrain of their respective areas and could identify most of the criminals operating around them.

    Represented by the Chairman of Zurmi Local Government Area, Dr Auwal Moriki, the ALGON boss regretted that the military had written to the state government requesting the withdrawal of the JTF.

    “We believe that withdrawing the CJTF is not advisable because we have seen how determined these youths are, in the fight against the bandits. We are confident that having received training from the armed forces, they can do the job.

    “If they can be closely supervised by the Police while they handle the weapons, the challenges will certainly be surmounted and we are confident that this can be achieved,” he said.

    Also commenting on the matter, the representative of the CJTF, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammed, commended members of the CJTF for their bravery, but acknowledged that there were some bad eggs among the security agents.

    “One of the major challenges we realised is that Police prosecutors often drop charges against hardened criminals that had confessed to committing attrocities, when they get to the courts.

    “Ultimately, such criminals are set free and they return to threaten those they suspect reported them.

    “We are ever ready to do our best to curb the activities of these terror groups, but we need your support, prayers and the cooperation of the security agents we work with,” he said.

    Also contributing, the representative of the Council of Ulama in the state, Dr Aliyu Jangebe, called on leaders to be just and fair to all citizens, while citizens must pray for the leaders.

    “We may have individually or collectively offended God and we need to seek His forgiveness and help for us to see the end of this problem,” he advised.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the meeting was attended by traditional and community leaders, as well as herders and farmers.

  • Monarchs, other highly placed Nigerians collaborating with bandits to incite violence in Northwest – FG

    Minister of Defence, Gen. Mansur Dan Ali on Tuesday warned those collaborating with bandits to desist of face the full wrath of the law.

    Relying on security reports, the minister said some highly placed persons, including traditional rulers, had been collaborating with troublemakers.

    In a statement issued in Abuja by his Public Relations Officer (PRO), Col. Tukur Gusau, the minister said the Federal Government and the Nigerian Armed Forces had taken proactive steps to curtail the problems in Zamfara by launching various operations, but the activities of the collaborators have been frustrating the efforts.

    He lamented that those profiting from the situation have been providing information to the bandits and other criminal elements within the Northwest zone to escape the onslaught of the various military operations and strategies.

    Gen. Dan Ali maintained that the government would not shy away from its responsibility of making the country safe and secure, warning that those compromising military operations would be made to pay for their crimes legally.

    The minister said: “The Ministry of Defence is very concerned about the security challenges in the Northwest, particularly, in states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Birnin-Gwari axis of Kaduna. Due to the recent prevailing security situation in the states, the Defence ministry, through the Nigerian Army, is now conducting Exercise HARBIN KUNAMA IV simultaneously in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states.

    “The purpose of the exercise is to effectively flush out the activities of criminal elements in the Northest. The Nigerian Air Force has also intensified air strikes against the bandits in Zamfara. So far, the combined efforts have yielded lot of successes, leading to the killing of many bandits, rescue of many innocent persons, including the renowned Islamic scholar Sheik Ahmad Suleiman.

    “The government is also addressing the remote and immediate causes that gave room to high spate of armed banditry in the states. Recently, the government acted on the advice of the Ministry of Defence to suspend all mining activities in Zamfara State and environs following intelligence report that suggest close collaboration between the activities of the bandits and illegal miners.

    “It is instructive to mention here that insurgency and terrorism are global phenomena that cannot be addressed through military actions only. The whole society has to rise in unison to support the government’s efforts to address the problem.

    “However, in spite of the concerted efforts of the Armed Forces and other security, some unpatriotic persons, including highly placed traditional rulers in the areas, were identified as helping the bandits with intelligence to perpetuate their nefarious actions or to compromise military operations.

    “In the last three years, the Ministry of Defence had carried out several reforms geared towards the reorganisation and expansion of the Armed Forces in order to meet up with contemporary security challenges across the nation and the sub region.

    “In line with this, the Nigerian Army established 8 Division with headquarters in Sokoto to cover Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara states while the Headquarters of 1 Brigade was relocated from Sokoto to Gusau.

    “Presently, the tactical headquarters of 8 Division has since located to Gusau. Similarly, the Nigerian Air Force also established Quick Response Force in Gusau and landing areas in Gusau and Birnin Magaji, respectively.

    “The Ministry of Defence, therefore, wish to warn any person or group of persons who choose to connive or sympathises with the bandits to perpetuate crime against the law abiding citizens to henceforth retract their steps or face the full wrath of the law.

    “The Armed Forces of Nigeria have been directed to deal decisively with anybody identified helping the bandits under whatever guise, no matter how highly placed the person or persons may be.

    “The Ministry of Defence wants to, once again, use this medium to assure Nigerians that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in conjunction with other security agencies, will continue to protect lives and properties of law abiding citizens of this country. The general public is also requested to cooperate with the Armed Forces to discharge of its constitutional responsibilities effectively.”

     

  • Bandits launch fresh attack on Kaduna community, kill 20

    Twenty persons have been reported killed in a fresh attack by unknown gunmen in Angwan Aku community, Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

    A resident who pleaded not to be named for ‘security reasons’ said the attack was launched at about 7am on Monday by gunmen, allegedly dressed in military uniform and armed with AK47 rifles, machetes and sticks.

    They stormed the village, shooting sporadically, he said.

    The source said: “The attackers stormed the village and they were shooting indiscriminately and everybody started running into the bush. They were pursuing us as we ran. Some people were killed in the bush.

    “Some of them were wearing military uniforms with bulletproof vests… I saw them from where I was hiding.”

    The source said the police arrived in the village in eight Hilux vans after the bandits had run into the bush.

    “The police came in eight Hilux vehicles, but instead of pursuing the bandits who ran into the bush, they just turned back,” he said.

    According to him, there had been speculations last week of the attacks.

    “We had thought that the government would have taken the speculations seriously and be proactive, but they didn’t take it seriously and this led to the killing of more of our people. It is rather very unfortunate,” he added.

    A former President of the Adara Development Association (ADA), Danladi Yarima, confirmed the attack in a telephone interview, describing it as “unfortunate”.

    He blamed it on the government’s handling of the security situation in the state.

    The incessant killings in Kajuru communities stared on February 10 when some herdsmen allegedly attacked Anguwan Barde, an Adara community, at night and killed 11 residents.

    The Adara were alleged to have embarked on reprisal attacks.

    Yarima, a lawyer, had in a recent statement said that about 4,000 people had been sacked from their homes following the destruction of properties by bandits.

    Yakubu Sabo, spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command could not be reached for comment last night. The messages sent to him on the telephone and on the Police/Media WhatsApp platform were not replied.

  • Bandits kill 50 civilian JTF, others in Zamfara

    No fewer than 50 persons, including members of Civilian Joint Task Force(CJTF) were killed in Zamfara by bandits on Tuesday, Speaker of the Zamfara State House Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, stated on Friday.

    Rikiji, who revealed this during a condolence visit to Kaura Namoda emirate, attributed the incidence to CJTF confrontation with bandits in a community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state.

    The Speaker, who led the state government delegation on the visit, decried the worsening security situation in the state.

    “We were told that the members of Civilian JTF have mobilised people from Sakajiki community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area and confronted the bandits in the forest which led to the killing of over 50 persons including members of CJTF,” he said.

    Rikiji, who is the Chairman of the State Government Relief and Damage Assessment Committee, described the act of the CJTF as unprofessional, saying ”confronting the bandits is not the duty of CJTF members.

    “Their duty is to support security personnel to carryout operations not to lead operations; only security agents have the right to organise operation to confront bandits,” he added.

    He urged traditional rulers in the state to caution CJTF members in their respective domain to avoid taking laws into their hands.

    “This is the directive from governor Abdul’aziz Yari that CJTF members should not confront bandits again; let them cooperate with the security personnel.

    “We have already received the list of the number of the deceased and other affected victims from the local government Chairman aimed at assisting them.

    “The state government would provide assistance to the families of the deceased and other victims of the incident very soon,” he added.

    Responding, the emir of Kaura Namoda, Alhaji Muhammad Asha, thanked the state government for the gesture and assured of his palace’s continued support and cooperation with government to address the problem.

    He said the emirate had embarked on special prayers to seek Allah’s intervention over the security challenges in the state.

    “We have already mobilised our Imams of Jumu’at Mosque and Ulamas to offer special prayers in this regard during Jumu’at prayers,” the emir said.

    The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, thanked the state government for the assistance to the victims.

    Abdullahi assured of the council’s continued support to the state and federal government in fighting insecurity in the area and the state.

  • Several dead, others injured as bandits attack Zamfara communities

    Several dead, others injured as bandits attack Zamfara communities

    Armed persons on Saturday attacked some communities in Zamfara State killing at least 10 people.

    According to a report by Premium Times, the attackers invaded Kursasa, Kurya and Gidan Achali communities in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State shooting sporadically.

    Residents say over 40 people, mainly farmers, were killed in the attacks. The police, however, say 10 people were killed.

    “At Gidan Achali community alone, over 20 people were massacred. And at Kursasa community, 10 people were killed while at Kurya, 13 persons were reported dead,” an official of the Shinkafi Local Government Area said under anonymity.

    He said the “number of people killed at Gidan Achali community is terrible because the high number of casualties in the area is worrisome.

    The source lamented that despite the repeated attacks on Shinkafi and other local governments in Zamfara, the armed persons still moved freely during the act without being challenged by any security operative.

    “It is just like there is no constituted authority in Zamfara State. Nobody cares about our lives.

    “We have now become easy prey for bandits in Shinkafi,” he said.

    When contacted, the Zamfara police spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, said only 10 people were killed at an onion farm in Kursasa community.

    He said security personnel have been mobilised to the area.

    Attacks on communities in Zamfara have continued in the past year despite the deployment of thousands of military and police personnel to the state.

    Apart from killing residents of the communities, the attackers also kidnap people for ransom.