Some 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari announced new service chiefs, bandits at various locations in Niger, Kaduna and Taraba states struck, killing their victims and abducting several others.
Also, the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) jet fighters made some successes in the raid carried on some bandits’ hideouts in Kaduna state, killing several of them during the exercise.
Following the resignation of their predecessors, a new set of service chiefs were named Tuesday.
They are; Major-General Lucky E.O Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff and Air-Vice Marshal Ishiaka Oladayo Amao as Chief of Air Staff.
Bandits strike
But the new helmsman had hardly settled in on the job when bandits, in their usual character, went on rampage killing and abducting their victims.
In Niger state for instance, the bandits abducted over 56 people in a recent attack on some communities in Shiroro and Lapai local government areas of the state.
Blueprint learnt that the bandits stormed Bassa community in Shiroro and Avu village in Lapai local governments of the state Thursday morning.
According to reports, 50 people were abducted in Shiroro local government while six others were abducted in the Lapai local government attack.
Co-convener Concerned Shiroro Youths Sani Abubakar Kokki confirmed the Shiroro attack incident to journalists Thursday in Minna.
He described the bandits as terrorists, lamenting that they attacked the town, causing mayhem on unsuspecting peaceful, unarmed and defenceless locals.
He said residents were led away in large numbers by the bandits who were over 50 on a rough headcount.
Kokki also said some other communities in Bassa/Kokki were attacked and there were a lot of losses.
“Shiroro local government area is in dire need of help as they continue to live at the mercy of the bandits,” the youth leader said.
In the same vein, gunmen in their large numbers stormed Avu community in Gupa- Abugi ward of Lapai local government area of the state same Thursday, killing one person and abducting six others.
The gunmen, according to a reliable source, attacked the community in the early hours of Thursday and opened fire on large number of people scampering for safety upon seeing them.
A member of the community, Idris Musa Avu, who spoke to journalists said: “The gunmen arrived the village around 1:00 am, in large number and upon seeing them, people were scampering for safety. As they were shooting sporadically, one person was killed and six people were kidnapped.”
Musa said the vigilantes tried to counter, but their efforts were not enough because they could not get the needed backup from the police at the time of the attack.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state police command, ASP Abiodun Wasiu could not be reached for comments on the development.
Taraba
Similarly, twenty-six youth from Takum local government area of Taraba state were Wednesday abducted by gunmen along Wukari-Takum road.
A source in Takum told Blueprint the youth, who were between 18 and 22, were returning from a wedding programme in Wukari in a Toyota Hummer bus at about 8.30am when they ran into a group of gunmen between Chechenji and Kofai Ahmadu villages.
It was gathered that the gunmen hijacked the vehicle they were travelling with and drove the 26 passengers, including the driver, to an unknown destination.
Accusing fingers are being pointed at the notorious Ghana boys said to have being flushed out of Benue state due to the activities of Operation Whirl-Stroke going on in the state.
When contacted, Taraba spokesman, DSP David Misal, confirmed the incident, saying the police received a report of 26 missing persons.
He said the police were yet to establish whether it was a case of kidnap, adding that the command had commenced investigation into the matter.
The PPRO further disclosed there was no communication between the criminals and either the relations of the victims or the police since their disappearance.
Kaduna
Also, bandits stormed residence of a customs officer, Malam Awwal Ibrahim at Nagiyi village in Zaria local government area of Kaduna state.
Blueprint gathered that the bandits stormed the area Wednesday between the hours of 10 and 11 pm.
Investigation revealed that the bandits initially stormed Unguwar Dankali neighbourhood of Wusasa where they abducted six persons and killed an 82-year- old man Sunday, but the attack was later repelled via a mob action.
It was further learnt that the hoodlums fled the area and headed to Nagiyi village and abducted the said customs officer’s children.
All efforts to reach spokesman of the state police command Thursday, ASP Mohammed Jalige, proved futile as he couldn’t pick calls put through to him by Blueprint, neither did he reply to the text message sent to him.
Similarly, the gunmen killed four people in separate attacks in Nasarawa Kalgo, Igabi local government, Maraban Kajuru and Janwuriya village both in Kajuru local government area of the state.
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan disclosed this Thursday in a statement in Kaduna.
He said security agents would intensify patrol in the affected areas.
Aruwan said: “Security agencies have reported that armed bandits attacked Nasarawa Kalgo community on the outskirts of Jaji, Rigachikun district in Igabi local government area. According to the report, the bandits stormed the village in dozens, and killed one resident, Harrisu Ibrahim.
“Similarly, armed bandits attacked the Kujama area of Chikun local government area, and were repelled by local vigilantes. However, as they retreated to their hideouts, the bandits attacked Janwuriya village in Kajuru local government area, and killed two brothers, Nuhu Ishaya and Yakubu Ishaya.
“In a separate incident, bandits invaded Maraban Kajuru, also in Kajuru local government area and killed one resident, Samiru Na Ya’u.”
“Governor Nasir el-Rufai expressed his distress at these reports, and prayed for the repose of the souls of the slain, while sending his condolences to their families. He also tasked security agencies to conduct diligent investigations into the incidents. Patrols are set to be sustained in these locations,” Aruwan added.
Jet fighters
Meanwhile, jet fighters carried out several sweeping missions on identified kidnappers’ den, killing several bandits across Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi and Chikun local government areas of Kaduna state.
Aruwan disclosed this in another statement Thursday in Kaduna.
He said: “Air platforms carried out several armed missions across identified locations spanning Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi and Chikun local government areas.
“According to the operational feedback to the Kaduna state government, areas covered were Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road, Buruku, Ungwar Yako, Udawa, Polewire, Crossing Point, Gagafada, Kugu, Kampani Doka, Gwaska, Goron Dutse and adjoining settlements.
“Bandits were spotted with cattle about 9km north of Gidan Audu, and were duly neutralized. This was the same situation just southwest of the same location. More bandits were sighted at Gbakopai and were also neutralized. At the foot of a high ground west of the village, more bandits with cattle were sighted and engaged.
“Furthermore, armed bandits were sighted at Gagafada attempting to cross from Polewire to Kampanin Doka, and were neutralized by the fighter jet crew. At the Gadani area, bandits in a convoy of about 12 motorcycles were sighted crossing the rail line west of Gadani station, and were engaged accordingly.
“Bandits with herds of cattle were also engaged further west of the same vicinity. Over Kwafe general area, bandits on motorcycles were seen moving out of Kwafe village towards Chikun and were engaged with rounds.
“In another mission covering Giwa LGA, a settlement was sighted at Yadi, active with bandits, and was engaged robustly with many bandits neutralized.”
The statement however noted that “Gwagwada, Sarkin Pawa, Chikun, Kwafe, Sarkin-Pawa to Polewire, Gidan Audu and adjoining settlements were observed to be calm. Other locations such as Kaduna-Abuja highway, Rijana, Polewire, Kateri, Jere and Zuba were calm with no suspicious activities observed.”
“Governor Nasir el-Rufai noted the report with satisfaction and thanked the crews and troops for the wide-sweeping mission. Further patrols will be conducted in these and other areas across the state,” Aruwa added.
Zamfara repentant bandits
And from Zamfara state, the state government announced receiving 7 repentant bandits who surrendered their weapons and accepted the ongoing peace process initiated by Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
Unveiling the repentant bandits in Government House Gusau, the state commissioner for security, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Dauran, said the ex-bandits also surrendered 14 AK-47 rifles and thousands of ammunition.
He said some of them came to Zamfara bushes from Niger and Yobe states, and stayed there for over two years.
“Those who hail from Yobe and Niger states have resolved to go back to their respective states to continue with their normal lives,” Dauran stated.
Preaching to the ex-bandits who took an oath with the Holy Qur’an never to return to their former ways, chairman of the Zamfara State Council of Ulamah Forum, Sheik Abubakar Aliyu Fari, charged them to be God-fearing and be conscious of their vow before their creator.
Earlier, Governor Matawalle promised to sustain the ongoing peace process, warning that, anyone who violated the agreement would face the military kinetic action.
