Tag: Katsina

  • Banditry: Again, angry Katsina youths take corpses to Emir’s palace

    Banditry: Again, angry Katsina youths take corpses to Emir’s palace

    Angry youths from Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, Saturday evening, stormed the Katsina Emir Palace with three bodies of victims killed at Zaka village.

    The three bodies, all from the same mother, were brought to the palace of the Emir, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman and accompanied by the aged mother of the victims

    The palace spokesman, Mallam Iro Bindawa, told the youths and relatives of the victims, who came in two J5 buses, to return the bodies to their village for burial.

    Bindawa told the aggrieved protesters that the Emir sympathised with them over the incident and advised them to tell the district head of their village to forward an official letter to the palace on the incident, detailing circumstances surrounding it.

    He said: “His eminence has directed me to tell them that they should tell their district head to forward an official letter on the incident to the palace for onward dispatch to security operatives. The Emir sympathised with them and advised that the bodies be taken to the village for proper burial.”

    When contacted, Katsina State Police Command spokesman, Gambo Isah, a superintendent of police, confirmed the incident.

    According to him, the victims were attacked on their farmland in the morning, adding that the victims’ farms were close to one of the bases of the bandits.

    He said: “The victims are of the same mother. Actually, four of them were on the farm when the bandits attacked them but one of them managed to escape.”

    Only recently, aggrieved youths and relatives of banditry attacks from Batsari Local Government Area carried 14 bodies to both the Emir and to Governor Aminu Bello Masari at Government House, Katsina.

    The 14 bodies, which later increased to 18, were later buried after a mass funeral ceremony.

  • Again, gunmen kill 10, injure 5 in Katsina

    A Sunday evening strike by unknown gunmen at Yar-Centre, Sherere village in Kankara Local government area of Katsina state has left 10 persons reportedly killed and five others sustaining various degrees of injuries.

    The Katsina State Police command have confirmed the incident but said only nine persons were killed. Local sources in the area said the incident happened when the gunmen who rode on motorcycles stormed the area and opened fire on the villagers leading to the death of the persons and five injured.

    The source said the five injured have been transferred from Kankara to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC in the state capital for medical attention.

    Another source disclosed that the gunmen also set ablaze shops and vehicles belonging to residents. When contacted, the spokesperson of the Katsina State Police command, SP Gambo Isah said the incident happened about 18:30 hours of Sunday evening and nine people were killed in the attack.

    It would be recalled that weeks back 14 persons were reportedly killed in a clash between the Armed bandits and members of the vigilante group (7 from both sides) in Tsamiyar Jino village of Kankara local government area of the state.

  • 19 dead in Katsina auto crash

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that no fewer than 19 persons died and 38 persons were injured in a ghastly road accident on Daudawa-Funtua road in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Godwin Ngeuku, made the confirmation to journalists on Friday in Katsina.

    He said the incident happened on Friday morning at Daudawa, few kilometres to Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State involving a Mitsubishi vehicle.

    The sector commander said the driver lost control of the vehicle while speeding, skidded off the road, somersaulted and killed some passengers instantly.

    He said the vehicle, with registration number DKA 654 ZP, was on its way to Sokoto with about 57 passengers when the incident occurred.

    The sector commander said FRSC rescue team rushed to the scene of the accident and took the injured persons to Funtua General Hospital for medical attention and evacuated the corpses.

    Mr Ngueku urged drivers to desist from overloading, speeding and continue to abide by the traffic rules and regulations as part of measures to avert crashes on the highways.

    The Chairman of Funtua Local Government Area, Lawal Sani, expressed sadness over the development.

  • Army confirms rescue of Sheik Suleiman, 5 others in Katsina State

    Army confirms rescue of Sheik Suleiman, 5 others in Katsina State

    The Army has confirmed the rescue of Sheik Ahmed Suleiman, a renowned Islamic cleric and five others, kidnapped in Katsina State on March 14.

    The Commander, 17 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Katsina, Brig.-Gen. L.T. Omoniyi, confirmed the rescue in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

    According to Omoniyi, the captives were released in the early hours of Wednesday.

    He also said that all the rescued victims were “in good health condition as ascertained by the medical examination conducted on them by the brigade’s medical centre.

    The commander said that the incident occurred along Kakumi-Kankara road, a general area in Kankara Local Government Area of the state on March 14.

    Omoniyi said that the rescue of the victims was sequel to the order by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai to the brigade to carry out the operation.

    He said the operation was conducted with relevant security agencies, while the Nigeria Army Directorate of Military Intelligence provided actionable intelligence and guidance for the brigade in the operation.

    The commander reaffirmed the commitment of the 17 brigade of the Nigerian army to ensure safety of lives and property in the state.

  • Bandits abduct popular Islamic cleric, five others in Katsina — Police

    Popular Kano-based Quranic reciter, Sheikh Ahmad Sulaiman and five other persons have been kidnapped in Katsina State.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Katsina State Police Command, SP Gambo Isa, told reporters yesterday in Katsina that the police were already on the trail of the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the victims.

    Isa urged the general public to continue to provide police with information on criminals and their activities with a view to safeguard peoples’ lives and property.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the victims were kidnapped on Thursday night on Sheme-Kankara road on their way back to Kano State after attending an Islamic event in Kebbi State.

    The State police command also confirmed yesterday, the the release of the mother-in-law to Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State, Hajiya Hauwa Yusuf by kidnappers.

    Hajiya Hauwa, the mother to one of the governor’s wives, Hajiya Binta, was abducted a week ago at her residence in Katsina metropolis.

    Gambo, in confirming the release said: “I am very happy to inform you that the old woman has been released by her abductors in the early hours of the day (Friday).

    ‘’She is hale and hearty, and has already been reunited with her family after necessary medical checkup.’’

    Meanwhile, the police have arrested an alleged notorious member of a kidnap syndicate in Batsari Local Government Area of the state.

    Isa said that the suspect attacked the house of one Mustapha Sani and attempted to kidnap his two wives.

    According to him, the combined team of police and vigilance group members promptly pursued the suspect and succeeded in rescuing the two women.

    ‘’The command will continue to solicit for the cooperation and support of the public in the fight against kidnappers and banditry,’’ he said.

  • 3 abducted INEC ad hoc staff in Katsina regain freedom — Police

    The Katsina State Police Command says three INEC ad hoc staff kidnapped during Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections in the state has been released by their abductors.

    It would be recalled that gunmen killed one policeman in Danmusa Local Government Area of the state and kidnapped three INEC ad hoc staff.

    Katsina State Police Spokesman, SP Gambo Isa, said in a statement that the victims were taken to Danmusa Hospital for medical attention and later reunited with their respective families.

    He added that efforts were ongoing to arrest the hoodlums.

  • Gunmen kill Policeman, NSCDC officer, abduct 3 INEC adhoc staff in Katsina

    Katsina State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a policeman and abduction of three INEC adhoc staff during the governorship and state assembly election in the state.

    The police also announced the killing of a civil defence officer in separate attack while on election duty.

    The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isa, in two separate statements made available to newsmen on Saturday in Katsina, said the policeman, Cpl Mannir Usman, was killed while on election patrol at Gobirawa Falale, Danmusa Local Government area of the state.

    The PPRO said that the gunmen ambushed the police team and shot Usman who was driving the patrol vehicle.

    He added that the gunmen also abducted three INEC adhoc staff on election duty in the same incident.

    The police further said that a civil defence officer was shot on the chest at Santar Amadi village polling unit in Kankara Local Government area, in another attack on Saturday.

    Isa said the gunmen attacked the village, shooting sporadically and hitting the officer on the chest where he died instantly.

  • Buhari, Aisha arrive Katsina for presidential poll

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday arrived in Katsina en route Daura, his hometown, to participate in the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections holding on Saturday.

    The presidential aircraft conveying the President, his wife, Aisha, and some of his aides landed at Umar Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina, about 3.25p.m.

    The President was received at the airport by Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, members of the National Assembly from Katsina State, heads of Federal Government agencies in the state and other government functionaries.

    The President left the airport in a presidential helicopter for Daura at about 3.50p.m.

    While in Daura, Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s elections, is expected to join other eligible voters at Kofar Baru 003 polling unit, Sarkin Yara Ward, Daura, Katsina State, to cast his vote.

    Buhari, on February 14, rounded off his nationwide campaign in Katsina and later proceeded to Daura for the February 16 presidential and National Assembly elections before it was shifted by the Independent National Electoral Commission to February 23.

    The governorship, House of Assembly, and Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections were also shifted from March 2 to March 9.

  • 20 caregivers kidnapped in Katsina

    An Islamic group has announced the abduction of 20 members of its First Aid Group (FAG) in Katsina.

    The Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) said the victims were kidnapped on December 23 in Jibiya Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    Sani Jingir, the National Chairman of the ‘Ulama’ Council of the group, disclosed the incident to journalists on Sunday, at a press conference held at the headquarters of the group in Jos.

    The Ulama Council is the highest spiritual organ of the religious organisation.

    The victims were on their way back to their destination in Sokoto State, after attending a first aid camp in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State, Mr Jingir said.

    “Our members of the First Aid Group from Sokoto state on their way home were kidnapped after they have left Jibya in Katsina State before they entered Zamfara State.

    “The kidnappers peacefully stopped them, took them out of their bus, before moving them into the bush. Their bus was abandoned and we were able to retrieve it,” he said.

    The cleric expressed shock that the incident happened to caregivers. He told journalists that President Buhari had called him to express sympathy about the kidnap.

    When asked if the kidnappers have contacted the group, Mr Jingir said so far no one has contacted them.

    “As at the time of this conference, nobody has contacted us. It is very unfortunate.

    “I urge the kidnappers to fear Allah, they should know that the hostages were only first aiders, nobody is paying them salary, they only render help to people,” he added.

    Kidnapping for ransom has increased in many parts of Nigeria including states like Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Ondo and Ekiti.

    The police are yet to speak on the kidnap of the caregivers.

  • 2019: Buhari losses as Katsina rep dumps APC for PDP

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    Barely two months to the 2019 general elections, a member of the House of Representatives Hon.Muirtala Ibrahim Danmasari of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has dumped the party to join the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP.

    He announced his defection to the ruling party in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House Hon.Yakubu Dogara which was read on the floor of the House at plenary on Tuesday.

    The lawmaker represents Masawa/Matazu Federal Constituency of Katsina State in the lower chamber of the apex parliament.

    In the letter, the lawmaker said he wishes to inform the House that he is no longer a member of the APC adding that he is now a card carrying member of the PDP.

    He said he wishes to use the platform of the PDP to pursue his political interests and those of his constituents.

    Most lawmakers of the PDP extraction hailed the decision and boldness of the lawmaker since President Muhammadu Buhari was elected on the platform of the ruling APC and hails from Katsina State.