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Tag: niger

  • JUST IN: Passengers abducted in Niger regain freedom

    JUST IN: Passengers abducted in Niger regain freedom

    Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello, on Sunday, said all passengers abducted while traveling in the state-owned, Niger State Transport Agency, NSTA, have been released.

    Recall that 21 passengers of the state transport company, NSTA were abducted at Kundu via Yakila in Rafi Local Government of the state were released last week.

    The State Governor had also secured the release of 10 passengers.

    The Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Mohammad Dani Idris, had said that the 10 persons were rescued through some ‘multiple strategies’ adopted by the state government.

    However, a tweet on the Governors Twitter page on a Sunday read, “Breaking News: The Niger State Government has succeeded in securing the release of all Abducted #RescueNSTAPassengers. Details shortly.”

    Meanwhile, students kidnapped at Government Science College, Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State are yet to be released.

    27 students and 15 members of staff were taken away by motorcycle riding bandits.

  • Niger abductees will be released soon- Gumi

    Niger abductees will be released soon- Gumi

    Popular Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmed Gumi, has assured that Niger abductees will be released soon.

    He made this statement after meetings with bandits in forests between Tegina and Birnin gwari in Kaduna state.

    A source within the delegation at the meeting, said Sheikh Gumi met with the bandits leader, Dogo Gide, among other top Commanders at Dutsen Magaji Forest.

    The Source disclosed that government also sent a strong delegation to meet with the bandits and dialogue with them

    The source further said Sheikh Gumi and his entourage are on their way back to Minna.

  • How we will secure abducted Niger school students, others – Defence Minister

    How we will secure abducted Niger school students, others – Defence Minister

    Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi has assured that the school children kidnapped in Niger state by armed bandits will be rescued, saying the government will adopt the same strategy it used to rescue the school children earlier kidnapped in Katsina.

    Speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the screening of Service Chiefs by the House of Representatives, Magashi said the service chiefs will swing into action immediately they are through with the screening exercise by the lawmakers and track down the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the children.

    He said “we have demonstrated our ability to take on the challenge. We have done it in Katsina; when children were kidnapped, within two days, we got them back. Hopefully, this time, we will do the same (thing) to get this these captives back. We are planning.

    “We have not got a feedback on the activities going on in Niger State. But I am confident that before the end of the day, we will be given a full brief on what is going on in Niger State”.

    While insisting that Nigerians have a responsibility to ensure there is adequate security, the Minister said “Well, is it not the responsibility of the military alone? It is the responsibility of everybody to be alert and ensure safety when necessary.

    “We shouldn’t be cowards. Sometimes the bandits come with about three rounds of ammunition and when they fire shots everybody will run. In our younger days, we stand to fight any form of aggression.

    “Why should people run away from minor, minor aggression? We should stand and face them. If these people know that the people have the competence and capability to defend themselves, they will run away.”

    The Minister however said government will ensure no Nigerian is hurt and will protect the territorial integrity of the county.

    The Minister also dismissed clamour for Nigerians to be allowed to bear arms to defend themselves, saying “It is an issue currently even in the developed country. They are still debating on whether to continue (to allow people bear arms) or stop. But I don’t advice Nigerians to bear fire arms for internal use.”

    Answering question on the merit of the nomination of the former Service Chiefs as ambassadors, he said “You should understand the efforts the service chiefs put in for this country. When they came in 2015, you could see the applause, people accepted them and they were doing this nation proud.

    “They captured virtually all the areas under the control of the terrorists and their only fault is probably because they stayed long and we know that Nigerians always don’t want people to stay long because of obvious reasons. But I think they have done their best and I believe they are capable and competent to take any other assignment.”

  • Buhari Flags Off Nigeria-Niger Railway Project

    Buhari Flags Off Nigeria-Niger Railway Project

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday flagged off the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi railway project with a branch line to Dutse in Jigawa State.

    Speaking virtually from the State House in Abuja, the president said that the project, when completed, will enhance economic activities, particularly the trans-Saharan trade between the two countries.

    He urged private investors to take full advantage of the opportunity and engage in legitimate businesses aimed at transforming the nation’s economy.

    The groundbreaking, which was held at Kwarin Tama village in Katsina State, was attended physically by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

    Other dignitaries present include the Ministers of Interior, Information and Culture, Foreign Affairs, Heath, Science and Technology, the governors of Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, and Maradi in the Niger Republic.

    Emirs of Katsina, Kano, Dutse, and top security heads of Nigeria and the Niger Republic were also in attendance.

    The railway project is expected to connect three Northern states – Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa – then terminate at Maradi, Niger Republic

    The rail line is also expected to financially empower Nigeria as the import and export hub for the Niger Republic and help the country compete favourably with other coastal West African countries in facilitating trade with the region’s landlocked countries.

  • Gunmen on motorcycles attack four Niger villages, kill 21, kidnap 40

    Gunmen on motorcycles attack four Niger villages, kill 21, kidnap 40

    Gunmen numbering over 100 on Monday invaded and attacked four communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State killing 21 villagers and abducting 40 other.

    Sources said that the attack which occurred on Monday evening had many other villagers injured.

    It was gathered that over 100 gunmen stormed the four communities of Kurebe, Sabon Gida, Sararai and Rafin Kanya at different times on Monday.

    The gunmen came in their usual style of riding motorcycles and shooting sporadically into the air causing the people to scamper away to safety.

    An eyewitness said that there was confusion especially as the bandits went from one house to another shooting and abducting people.

    “They seem to know who they were looking for. It was very terrible. I sustained an injury on my legs and I am currently receiving treatment”, a village source who witnessed the attack said.

    Secretary to the Niger State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane also confirmed the incident.

    He said that the number of people killed or abducted is currently unknown adding that government is putting in mechanism to bring an end to the incessant bandit attacks.

    The Co-Convener of Concerned Shiroro Youths, Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki also confirmed the attack saying it was a day of total blackout in Shiroro local government area.

    He lamented that terrorists have continued to have a field day in the council sacking the communities with gusto and crass impunity.

    “Arising from the nefarious activities of these bandits, Internally Displaced Persons are conspicuously littered everywhere, helter-skelter and scampering for peace and safety. Unfortunately, nothing is being done by the authorities concerned to salvage the ugly situation,” he added.

  • Bandits invade Niger communities, cart away foodstuff

    Bandits invade Niger communities, cart away foodstuff

    Armed bandits said to be numbering about 200 on Sunday morning attacked some communities in Munya and Paikoro Local Government Areas of Niger State, killing two vigilantes, a middle-aged man and injuring about 15 others in an operation which the villagers said was targeted only at foodstuff.

    About 15 women were kidnapped and made to help the bandits carry the looted foodstuff packed in sacks from the communities.

    They, however, promised to release the women after helping them to evacuate the foodstuff to a particular location.

    The communities invaded by the bandits include Beni, old and new Dalolo, Aboloso, Ishau and Amale, all in Paikoro Local Government, while Gwari Nyayi, Kabiri and Biri in Munya Local Government were also raided by the bandits.

    According to the District Head of Beni, Alhaji Jafaru Umar Sarki who confirmed the invasion by the bandits, the operation started on Saturday evening when the armed men numbering about 200 and in over 50 motorcycles stormed the communities in three different groups.

    The Saturday operation only lasted for one hour and the bandits went away with sacks load of foodstuff and other items looted from shops in the town.

    He said on Sunday morning, the bandits returned and shared themselves into three groups, moving from one community to another targeting only foodstuff and provisions from shops in an operation that started around 9.00am and lasted for over three hours.

    According to him, for the three hours which the Sunday operation lasted, a helicopter owned by one of the security agencies was busy hovering around the communities while the bandits were operating on the ground.

    “We saw a helicopter moving around the communities for about six times when the bandits were operating but the helicopter did not attack the bandits.

    “We did not know what the helicopter was doing in the air because bandits were operating freely on the ground.

    He said that “Immediately the bandits finished the operation and left, we did not see the helicopter again, so we don’t know whether it was providing cover for the bandit or to attack the bandits”.

    He revealed that the communities became helpless when all calls made to relevant security agencies to come to their rescue failed, adding that “in fact, the Divisional Police Officer attached to the area told me that they had no fuel in the car”.

    The District Head, a retired police officer, disclosed that only the local vigilantes were on ground to provide some help but their ammunitions got exhausted after over 30 minutes of gun exchange with the bandits.

    They, however, lost two of their men, leaving the bandits with gunshot injuries.

    A middle-aged man who operates a computer centre at Kafin Koro, identified as Francis Daniel, was shot and killed from a hundred metres distance when he attempted to escape into the bush on sighting the bandits.

     

  • Gunmen invade Niger communities; kidnap 20, Governor Bello reacts

    Gunmen invade Niger communities; kidnap 20, Governor Bello reacts

    No fewer than 20 people have been abducted and scores of others injured by gunmen who attacked Maitumbi and Kuchi communities in Bosso and Munya Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Niger State.

    The Chairman of Bosso LGA, Abubakar Gomna, confirmed the incident in Maitumbi on Monday, saying the attack lasted almost two hours.

    He disclosed that armed men numbering over 30 attacked the community at about 11:30pm on Sunday and opened fire on some residents.

    “The gunmen came in their numbers and started shooting sporadically. Some members of the vigilante group tried to stop them, but they overpowered the vigilantes.

    “Some of the vigilantes were shot but are currently receiving treatment,” Gomna narrated.

    He noted that the abductors have demanded a ransom of five million naira for each of the victims to be released when they contacted their families.

    During the attack on Kuchi community in Munya LGA, at least five persons were said to have been injured, with at least 17 locals abducted.

    Among those kidnapped were the father and mother of a former chairman of the local government, Mallam Yahuza.

    The state governor, Abubakar Bello, in his reaction to the incidents condemned the attack on the communities.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel-Berje, the governor said he was concerned about the incessant attacks on innocent citizens by bandits.

    He decried what he described as the incessant and nefarious activities of the gunmen and urged residents in the affected local governments to remain calm and be supportive of the government’s efforts aimed at identifying and dislodging the criminals.

    According to the governor, the recent meeting of the North Central State Governors held in Makurdi, Benue State provided ideas and offered a new approach in dealing with the issue of banditry in the region.

    He stressed that the Federal Government and authorities in the states were doing their best to restore order in the affected areas.

    Governor Bello also assured the residents of his administration’s relentless support to the security agencies in the state.

    He, however, urged them to play their part through collaborative intelligence sharing in order to defeat the bandits disturbing the peace in Niger.

    The governor directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to provide medical assistance and relief to the injured, as well as those taking refuge at the Maitumbi Primary School in Bosso LGA.

  • 23 dead, 22 injured as Lagos-bound truck somersaults in Niger

    23 dead, 22 injured as Lagos-bound truck somersaults in Niger

    The Police Command in Niger says 23 persons lost their lives when a truck fully loaded with dozens of cows and 45 persons, skidded off the road and somersaulted into a bush.

    The accident occurred at about 0500 hours along Bokani -Makera road in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state, according to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Adamu Usman, who confirmed the accident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, on Monday.

    Usman said the truck, with registration Number BBJ 666 XA, was coming from Dadin Kowa, in Kebbi state, enroute to Lagos when the incident occurred, explaining that the corpses of the deceased, and the other 22 who sustained various degree of injuries, had been conveyed to the Mokwa General Hospital for postmortem and treatment respectively.

    Usman, who attributed the accident to loss of control by the driver, lamented the failure of drivers to obey traffic rules and regulations.

  • Gunmen kill, bury Niger village head one week after abduction

    Gunmen kill, bury Niger village head one week after abduction

    Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed Mr Zakari Ya’u Idris, the Village Head of Madaka in Rafi Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

    The Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Rafi LGA, Mohammed Mohammed, confirmed the murder of the village head to on Saturday.

    According to reports, Idris was killed a week after he was abducted by his captors who invaded Madaka community on Sunday last week, where they murdered three persons and abducted the village head for a second time.

    Mohammed revealed that the bandits had earlier contacted the family of the deceased to pay a ransom of N800,000.

    He noted that five persons that were released after they paid their ransom revealed that the Village Head of Madaka had been killed by the bandits.

    According to the LGA chairman’s aide, those who gained their freedom said Idris was killed after going through torture in the hands of the gunmen, as they were always beating him.

    They further disclosed that the remains of Zakari Idris were buried in the bush by the bandits.

    The village head was abducted after his release about a month ago during which he spent three months in the custody of his abductors.

    Those killed by the gunmen during the raid on Madaka included a leader of the vigilante group in the community, Isyaku Alhassan, his son Abdulhamid, and one other person.

    Scores of other persons were also said to have been injured during the attack while many houses were set ablaze.

    Similarly, the District Head of Gunna who was abducted in Yakila in the same local government has yet to regain freedom.

    The gunmen, according to Mohammed, have yet to get in touch with the family of the district head to demand any ransom.

    Gunmen kill PDP chieftain, Kidnap three daughters

    Meanwhile, the daredevil gunmen also extended their killing spree in the state to one Alhaji Ahmodu Mohammed, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kampala ward of Bosso Local Government Area of the state.

    According to reports, Ahmodu’s three daughters were also kidnapped by the bandits.

    According to eyewitness account, the murder of Alhaji Mohammed, a successful farmer, took place Thursday after the bandits had paid two previous visits to his community.

    The armed men were said to have previously attacked traders at the popular Beji market.

    Thursday’s raid by the bandits who numbered about 15 and carried dangerous weapons took place around 2.00 am, it was learnt.

    Confirming the development, a close family member said: “This is the third time that the bandits are attacking the man. They have been coming before but they couldn’t succeed because the man is very powerful”. “He was shot several times before he eventually died.”

    The Niger State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Tanko Beji confirmed the development. Beji said the remains of the slain Ward leader of the party had been interred according to Islamic injuction. He also confirmed the kidnap of three daughters of the deceased and described the incident “as unfortunate and pathetic”.

  • Niger government discovers over 2,000 ghost workers

    Niger State Government says it has uncovered over 2,000 illegal workers amongst its workforce in the state.

    This was the final result of findings submitted by the Salary Management Committee set up by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello.

    Chairman of the Committee who is also Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Ibrahim Panti made the revelation during the post executive council briefing in government house.

    According to him, several millions were recovered to have been entering into some fictitious spending in Ministries, Agencies as well as Departments (MDAs) across the state.

    The chairman explained that out of the remaining 26,387 workers on the Governments’ payroll, only 23,624 are genuine and legal workers of the state who would be captured in the civil servants data base.

    He said “after conducting the final screening exercise to further verify the staff on government’s payroll, we discovered 2,764 have different names, using different banks with the same BVN being paid salaries.”

    The commissioner also revealed that 191 pending cases may scale up, while 477 workers are placed on hold having failed to produce either their first employment letter other documents.

    ” Out of the 1,230 cases rejected some are either dead, retired or on impersonation, even as 603 persons are yet to show up for the screening exercise.”

    Panti further added that a 6-Man Review Committee Chaired by Commissioner for Planning, Mamman Musa has been constituted by the state Governor to look into the recommendations given by the Salary Management Committee.

    It would be recalled that a total of 36,000 names of civil servants were presented to the committee when they started the screening exercise, it was brought down to 27,000 and latter to 25,000 and presently to 23,624.