TheNewsGuru

Tag: Zamfara

  • Killings: I’m ready to quit as Zamfara governor – Yari says after meeting Buhari

    Killings: I’m ready to quit as Zamfara governor – Yari says after meeting Buhari

    The Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, on Thursday said that if declaration of state of emergency in his state will solve the security problems, he is ready to quit as governor.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Noting that the security situation in the state has improved, he said the bandits responsible for the insecurity breed their cattle in the forest and strike occasionally.

    He also accused the security agencies especially the police of not doing enough, lamenting that some of the officers that were transferred out of the state after serving three years have not been replaced.

    According to him, the lingering cases of armed banditry in the state won’t affect the forthcoming election.

    While stating that he met the President over the security situation in the state, he said the issue of the armed banditry was being exaggerated.

    “There is no place being occupied by the armed bandits in Zamfara state. They live and operate in the forest. They strike and run. Most of the camps are known by locals,” he said.

    On his support for declaration of emergency in Zamfara, he said he was not playing politics with it, saying ” I’m not playing politics with it. I’m serious about it.”

    Asked whether he discussed the declaration of emergency with Buhari, he said, ” not at all.“

  • Zamfara killings: Take full, direct control, Saraki tells Buhari

    …says Security Agencies Must Change Strategy

     

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has described the killings in Zamfara State as barbaric, unacceptable and called on the security agencies to swiftly devise a strategy to put an end to the ugly situation.

    Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that the situation in Zamfara State is a demonstration that unlike in 2015 when the only crisis point in the northern part of the country was the North-east zone, the North-west has today been engulfed by a bloody situation in which human lives are wasted on a daily basis.

    He said the killings have gone on for too long and the situation has not been given the desired attention as well as the right strategy that will stop it, adding that there was a clear indication of systemic failure.

    “There is need for certain and proper profiling of the situation so that we can know whether it is simple cattle rustling, vicious armed robbery on a large scale, religious cum ethnic crisis or invasion by foreign forces.

    “Our security agencies must immediately come out with a proper understanding of the situation, the right strategy and deployment of the necessary troops to tackle the menace. We must within the next few days send the right signals to the criminals in that area that the Nigerian State will no longer tolerate the on-going blood-letting.

    “We must immediately change our strategy. Also, the President has to take full, direct control. May be the President must widen the consultation within the armed forces on the search for solution to this problem. He must go beyond the first line military top brass. We need to get ideas from more sources than we presently do.

    “In 2014, I remember that President Jonathan was told that ‘you control the armed forces and you are the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic, why should any part of the country be under occupation by criminals’. Why should we not apply the same logic to the occurrence in Zamfara today?

    “Just as we also flayed the pre-2015 government, the situation in Zamfara presents a picture of the government denying the citizens their fundamental rights to life and rights to own property. The government must correct this by stopping the carnage in Zamfara immediately.

    “It is a surprise that the Zamfara killings are not getting enough attention from the media and the non-governmental organisations. The Senate had sent an investigative team into the area a few months ago after Senator Kabiru Marafa raised a motion on the floor and as at then, we called on other security agencies to help the police in dealing with the matter.

    “It is expected that by now, the President would have arranged a meeting with leaders of the National Assembly, legislators, traditional rulers and other key stakeholders from the affected state, to exchange ideas and proffer lasting solutions to the issue. The key advantage of a democracy is that it provides for wide consultation and inclusion. No one person or group has all the monopoly of knowledge. We really need to do all that is possible to stop the carnage,

    “Let me use this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately give a marching order to the various security agencies and tell them to give him progress report on a regular basis. There is need for us to use the Zamfara case to demonstrate to all criminal elements that the government will not tolerate those who hide under whatever guise to shed human blood in our country.

    “We should look at the Zamfara killings as a major threat to our democracy, particularly as we move towards election period in the next 50 days. We should not allow criminal elements to take over parts of the country. The situation in that state is an example of why we need to overhaul our security architecture in order to bring them to a state where they can tackle emerging challenges”, the Senate President stated.

  • Killings in Zamfara will affect Nigeria’s food security – FG

    The federal government says the persistent attacks on residents of Zamfara by bandits will affect food security in the country.

    The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, said this on Wednesday in Gusau during an on-the-spot assessment of the activities of the bandits in the state.

    “Since those affected by the killings are largely the agrarian rural dwellers, the activities of the bandits will have a serious impact on agriculture and food security,” said Mr Dambazau.

    “This is a final warning, the bandits must stop these acts forthwith because the Federal Government has devised more stringent ways to deal with them.

    “I want to assure them that they cannot withstand the consequences.’’

    He said stakeholders in the security sector in the state would meet to fine tune the new measures that would be used in tackling the threat posed by the bandits.

    The minister, however, advised the hoodlums to immediately surrender and embrace peace.

    He expressed Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari’s condolences to the people of the state over the attacks.

    “This administration will continue to go to any length to protect the lives and properties of the citizens because any single innocent life lost has a devastating effect on the nation and is unacceptable,’’ he said.

    Responding, Sanusi Rikiji, who is the acting governor and speaker of the House of Assembly, lamented that the security situation in the state was getting out of hand and required the concerted efforts of all stakeholders.

    “This crisis started as a farmers /herdsmen conflict but has now escalated to the killing of the innocent, rustling and kidnapping,’’ he said.

    The acting governor, who commended the joint efforts of the security agencies at all the flashpoints, noted that the hoodlums had devised fresh tactics to evade confrontation with security personnel.

  • Insecurity: Residents protest in Zamfara, destroy Buhari, Yari’s 2019 campaign billboards

    Insecurity: Residents protest in Zamfara, destroy Buhari, Yari’s 2019 campaign billboards

    Information reaching TNG now has it that residents of some parts of Zamfara State are protesting the insecurity in the state.

    Recall that hundreds of people have been killed by bandits in the North-west state in 2018. Many others have been kidnapped for ransom.

    The protesters, mainly residents of Tsafe Local Government Area, on Monday morning barricaded the Gusau-Zaria highway linking the state to Kaduna, Kano, and Abuja.

    An eyewitness said the protesters in their hundreds destroyed political billboards of President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

    The protests, which was populated by youth and women later degenerated into a full riot.

    “The protesters began by blocking the highway and burning tyres, but as we speak, the local government secretariat in Tsafe is on fire,” the eyewitness, who declined to be named for security reasons, said.

    Details later…

  • 17 die in fresh Zamfara attack – Police

    The police in Zamfara have confirmed 17 people killed in an attack by armed bandits on a community in the state.

    The attack occurred in Magami Village, Faru District of Maradun Local Government Area.

    A statement by the Zamfara police spokesperson, Muhammed Shehu, said the attack occurred on Saturday evening.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the attack occured at about 4 p.m.

    Mr Shehu said more police officers have been deployed to the area.

    He said the Acting Governor of Zamfara State, Sanusi Rikiji; the police commissioner and other heads of security agencies were at the scene in the early hours of Sunday.

    The officials were there “for on the spot assessment with a view to putting in more proactive security measures that will bring lasting solutions to the security challenges in the area and other parts of the state,” he said.

    “In view of the visit, the commissioner of police has deployed additional unit of Tactical teams which comprises PMF/CTU Personnel to the affected area to complement the existing security emplacement.

    “The unit of the PMF/CTU personnel has already arrived the village and they were directed to operate in collaboration with the military and other security personnel to restore normalcy and prevent any security threat by any disgruntled person or group of persons.

    “While the command condoles the government and people of Zamfara State over the unfortunate incident, it has also vowed to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

    “The command in this regard appeals for continued collaboration with all the security agencies in the state to bring lasting peace, safety and security to Zamfara State,” the spokesperson said.

    Mr Rikiji also on Sunday attended the funeral prayer of some of the victims killed by the bandits.

    Mr Rikiji, who is the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, condoled with the families of the victims and people of Maradun Emirate and described the incident as unfortunate and worrisome.

    He said the state government was concerned about security matters.

    “It is very disturbing, so distracting the way our people are being killed by terrorists.

    “More often than not, we could not even concentrate and face our work, due to pressures of insecurity in our communities,” NAN quotes the acting govenrors as saying.

    He urged security operatives in the state to maximise their efforts in tackling the challenges.

    Mr Rikiji noted that the state government had been providing all necessary support to security agencies in the state.

    “We are ever ready to continue to offer any support to security agencies, at whatever cost, in order to address the current security situation in the state,” he said.

    He urged people of the state to continue with prayers to seek Allah’s interventions to end the situation.

    The acting governor also appealed to communities to provide information on security to security agencies for prompt response.

    The heads of security agencies in the state were also in attendance during the prayers.

    In their separate remarks, the Emir of Maradun, Garba Tambari, and Chairman Maradun Local Government Area, Yahaya Shehu, called for the deployment of more security personnel in the area.

    Hundreds of people have been killed by armed bandits in Zamfara in 2018. The killings have continued despite the deployment of thousands of security personnel including soldiers as well as air force personnel and equipment to the state.

     

  • Bandits invade Zamfara communities, kill farmers harvesting potatoes

    Bandits invade Zamfara communities, kill farmers harvesting potatoes

    Suspected armed bandits on Wednesday stormed three communities in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing many residents.

    According to sources in the neighbourhood, some of those killed were working on their farms when they were attacked.

    Sources said the armed bandits came heavily armed and opened fire on the farmers who were harvesting sweet potatoes at Garin Haladu community.

    “The armed bandits came around 1 o’clock noon and opened fire on some youth harvesting sweet potatoes at Garin Haladu community and killed ten people,” a resident said.

    He added that “they came back in the evening and ransacked some villages around.”

    The source said in Wednesday’s attack, 12 people were killed at Garin Haladu community. At Nasarawa Godal community, four persons were killed, while at Garin Kaka community, nine people were killed, he said. The three communities are in the same local government.

    “Many youth from Nasarawa Godal community ran to Garin Haladu to help the neighbouring community fight the attackers. Among them, four persons were killed by the armed bandits and their corpses were discovered today (Thursday),” the source said.

    The source, who asked not to be named for security reasons, named those killed from Nasarawa Godal community as Kurma Garba, Sunusi Mairoba, Ibrahim Yahuza and Haruna Dangodal.

    Those four have been buried.

    Many were injured and are receiving medical treatment at Nasarawa Godal hospital, he said.

    Some, whose situations worsened, were referred to Kaura Namoda hospital in the state.

    The affected local government, Birnin Magaji, is the hometown of Nigeria’s defence minister, Mansur Dan Ali.

    According to a report by Premium Times, most of the villages surrounding Birnin Magaji Local Government Area such as Ballaka, Tsalle, Gidan Kare, Katsinawa, Garin Boka and Garin kaka are deserted due to repeated attacks by the bandits. Residents of such villages are taking refuge at the council headquarters and some other places in the state.

    The source stated that residents are now searching for corpses in the bush and there is the fear that the death toll will rise.

    Soldiers reportedly came in three vehicles to the area, hours after the armed bandits had finished their operation.

     

  • Police recover bodies of 16 cops killed by Zamfara bandits

    Police recover bodies of 16 cops killed by Zamfara bandits

    The police have recovered the bodies of 16 personnel who died during the exchange of fire with bandits in Zamfara State last week Thursday.

    Twenty cops who were missing during the operation was said to have been rescued by the Police Joint Intervention Force.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Jimoh Moshood, had earlier claimed only one policeman was killed, but a statement on Wednesday by Zamfara Police spokesman, SP Mohammed Shehu, put the casualty figure at 16.

    “The search and rescue operations embarked on by the Police Joint Intervention Force to rescue the missing police personnel after the November 29, 2018, onslaught on the armed bandits resulted in the successful rescue of 20 Policemen alive, while 16 personnel were found dead,” it explained.

    The statement expressed the IG’s condolences to the families of the deceased Policemen, noting that he had ordered befitting burials for the gallant officers and the prompt processing and payments of their life assurance benefits and other entitlements.

    Following the bloody encounter with the bandits and the high casualties, the force leadership had deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Department of Operations, Habila Joshiak, to take over the command of the operation.

    The police had said the PJIT operatives killed 104 hoodlums and destroyed 50 criminal hideouts in Zurmi Local Government Area while they recovered 500 cattle and 79 sheep during the operation.

  • Zamfara 2019: We’ll challenge INEC ban in court – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole on Friday said the party will approach the court on its ban by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from fielding candidates for elective positions in Zamfara in the 2019 general elections.

    Oshiomhole stated this on Friday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the state of affairs of the party.

    He said that INEC cannot disenfranchise the people of Zamfara from participating in any of the elections in 2019.

    “With all due respect, INEC cannot award a state to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other political party.

    “It has to be the decision of the people of Zamfara or any other people in any other state that is going to participate in any of the elections.

    “I believe the court will look at the law and the rules, and as far as the legal advice we have gotten is concerned, we believe we are on good grounds.

    “We want to see INEC as an impartial arbiter, and I trust that they will do their very best to maintain their name as an impartial arbiter,“ Oshiomhole said.

    He added that for now, the APC has confidence in INEC, even though according to him, the commission is being pressured by the PDP to do internal reorganisation.

    The APC national chairman expressed optimism that the rule of law would prevail at the end of the day, adding that the party has confidence in the judiciary and would always abide by court rulings.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that INEC had on Oct. 10, said that APC was not eligible to field candidates for Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly positions in Zamfara in the 2019 elections.

    The commission in a letter signed by Okechukwu Ndeche, the acting Secretary, said APC was not qualified to field candidates because it failed to conduct primaries in Zamfara within the stipulated time-frame.

    Oshiomhole while reacting to the development, had insisted that the party held primaries in Zamfara contrary to INEC position

     

  • Pandemonium as ‘100 gunmen’ attack Zamfara community; kill policeman, others

    At least six persons including a police corporal were on Friday killed by gunmen in Gurbin Bore village, Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported.
     
    The state police spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, said the community was attacked at about 10 pm by assailants numbering about 100.
     
    It was not immediately clear why the village was targeted.
     
    Zamfara, located in Nigeria’s north west, has been hit by several deadly attacks in the last one year by people described by authorities as “bandits”, who also steal livestock.
     
    The police spokesman said three people were severely wounded in Friday’s attack.
     
    “Eleven vehicles including a police vehicle, three motorcycles and five kiosks were set ablaze by the hoodlums,” he said.
     
    Mr Shehu said the “bandits” who were suspected to have come from Dumburum forest were engaged by a combined team of counterterrorism operatives, comprising police Mobile Force, and Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) personnel stationed in the area.
     
    He said the attackers were being trailed and would be arrested and brought to justice.
     
    The vice chairman of Zurmi Local Government Council, Abubakar Dauran, told journalists that 13 shops and 15 vehicles were burnt.

  • 2019: INEC replies Oshiomhole, insists APC won't participate in Zamfara elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it stands by its statement that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not field candidates for the 2019 general elections in Zamfara.
    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this on the sideline of the opening of a two-day validation workshop titled “Study on the cost of elections in ECOWAS Region” on Monday in Abuja.
    “We have issued a statement on Zamfara and nothing has changed. We stand by the statement that we issued,” he said.
    Yakubu re-emphasised that the deadline for submission of party candidates’ name to the commission was Oct 18, saying that it would give a full report on that after Nov. 18.
    INEC had informed the ruling APC in a leaked memo that it would not be allowed to field candidates for elective positions in Zamfara in the 2019 elections.
    The commission’s acting Secretary, Okechukwe Ndeche, in a letter to the APC said that the party was barred from fielding candidates for governorship, national assembly and state assembly elections.
    The commission said this was because APC failed to comply with Sections 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act of 2010.
    Parties, according to the act, were expected to comply with the timetable and schedule of INEC, which says that the conduct of primaries must be held between Aug. 18 and Oct. 7.
    INEC said it received reports from its Zamfara office, indicating that no primaries were conducted in the state “notwithstanding that our officials were fully mobilised and deployed.”
    The APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, later responded to INEC in a statement and said that the party had already arrived at a consensus before the deadline.
    Oshiomhole said that following the high level of friction, disagreements and threats of violence by various political camps before the primaries, all the aspirants met at City King Hotel, Gusau, to find a truce.
    “After hours of intense horse-trading, a consensus was reached within the spirit and context of the electoral act and the constitution of our party.
    “This was done in strict compliance with Section 87 (6) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended),” he said.
    He said that the claim by INEC that no primaries were conducted could only be referring to its officials’ observation that actual voting did not take place.
    The APC chairman said that conduct of primaries was not the only mode prescribed for producing candidates in the electoral act, 2010 (as amended).
    “We, therefore, affirm that indeed, primaries took place in Zamfara State,” Oshiomhole said.
    The party chairman also noted that PDP had similar issues in Kano State and wondered why INEC did not bar the opposition party from fielding candidates.
    Yakubu further said that the commission would by the end of November print the outstanding Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
    “We have printed the PVCs for those who registered in the first quarter of 2018. We are right now simultaneously printing for those who registered in the second and third quarters.
    “We are looking at the end of November for all the PVCs to be printed including request for transfer and relocation.
    “Let me just repeat the assurance that every citizen that registered and who have applied for transfer or replacement will get his or her PVC before 2019 general elections.”
    He, however, said that the commission had stopped every registration, request for transfer and replacement of damaged PVCs.