Bandits
Kaduna abduction: Group urges government not to negotiate with bandits
The Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative (GOPRI), has condemned the abduction of 39 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, who were abducted by bandits on Friday. The group urged Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai not to negotiate with bandits. In a statement by its Executive Director, Ambassador Melvin Ejeh, the group said the abduction was orchestrated to blackmail el-Rufai over his position on non-negotiation with bandits. According to the group, no responsible government should negotiate with terrorists. It hailed the governor for his prompt response that resulted in the rescue of 180 distraught students and members of staff of the school. It expressed optimism that the remaining 39 students still not accounted for would soon be rescued. The st...
Police redeploys DPO in Zamfara for ‘conniving’ with bandits – spokesman
The Zamfara Police Command has redeployed its Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kaura-Namoda, following allegations of fraternizing and conniving with bandits terrorizing the area. The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu, stated this in a statement made available to journalists, in Gusau, on Monday. Shehu said, “the attention of the Zamfara State Police Command has been drawn to a viral video trending on social media platforms wherein the communities of Kungurki village, in Kaura Namoda LGA, accused the DPO of Kaura Namoda Division of conniving with recalcitrant armed bandits who were making life unbearable for the people. “Available records at the command revealed no formal complaint against the DPO in respect of the allegation. “However, the command enjoins members of ...
Official: Three teachers kidnapped in Kaduna school attack
Three teachers were kidnapped in the attack Monday morning by bandits on a primary school in Kaduna State. According to the state government, two pupils initially declared missing after the attack have been found. The state goverment had earlier on Monday announced the attack on the primary school in Rema, about 150 kilometres from the state capital, but said it was awaiting details on the incident. In an update he provided later, the state’s Commissioner of Internal Security and Homeland Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said only three teachers were kidnapped in the attack. He said this was according to the report provided by the school authorities and as gathered by security operatives and the state government. According to Mr Aruwan at a press conference in Kaduna, after the state government com...
Former Nigerian ambassador urges government to negotiate with bandits
A former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines and Algeria, Orefo Onochie, has told the federal government to consider the option of negotiating with the insurgents, currently terrorising Nigeria, if that would make the bandits to embrace lasting peace. Onochie who spoke newsmen in Abuja on Sunday said that negotiating with the bandits would prove a wiser option in the long run. According to him, there is nothing wrong in negotiating with bandits if that can end banditry, insurgency and kidnappings in parts of the country. The diplomat argued that Nigeria should not continue to be held hostage by terrorists, especially in the north. He also expressed worry over what he described as the persistent cases of kidnappings and killing of farmers by herdsmen in farming communities in parts of th...
Official: 39 students missing from forestry mechanization college
Kaduna state government has said further checks in the wake of the attack by armed bandits on the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi LGA indicated that 39 students are currently unaccounted for. In a statement issued by Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs, said the missing students included males and females. The statement said: “In an earlier update, citizens were informed that troops rescued 180 persons following an attack by armed bandits on the College late Thursday night, with about 30 still missing. The number of missing students is now confirmed to be 39, comprising 23 females and 16 males. Aruwan said the state government, “is maintaining close communication with the management of the College as efforts are sustained by security agen...
Kaduna governor: Bandits have challenged the sovereignty of Nigeria
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that bandits have challenged the sovereignty of Nigeria, and must therefore be wiped out. He reiterated that the state government would never negotiate with the criminals. According to the governor, the activities of the criminals have driven farmers from their land and shaken the confidence of the people. The governor, who stated this yesterday at the Government House in Kaduna while receiving the 2020 Security Report from the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, warned that food security of Nigerians is seriously at risk in view of activities of criminal elements across the country. Kaduna is one of the states in the North-west region that is worst hit by activities of bandits and kidnappers, ...
Bandits kill three people in attack on Kaduna village
Bandits have attacked Ganji village in Igabi local Government Area of Kaduna State on Tuesday evening killing three people and leaving at least five people with gunshot wounds. Locals told newsmen that the bandits stormed Ganji, a village close to Albasu which was attacked also attacked last year on motorcycles and set ablaze homes and a vehicle. Lado Ibrahim, a resident said the bandits invaded the community around 5:30pm in over 30 motorcycles two on each and shot at residents before jamming them with the motorcycles. He said five people have been taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds while a military helicopter has been hovering the area to scare the bandits away. Another resident, Hamza Shafiu said the attack on Ganji may be connected to the abduction of residents close to the comm...
Senator Okon: Nigerian government handling insurgency, banditry with kid gloves
Pioneer National publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Anietie Okon has expressed concern that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is handling insurgency and banditry in the northeast and north-west with kid gloves. Okon who is also the Spokesperson of Akwa Ibom Leaders Vanguard, made the assertion yesterday during an interaction with newsmen in Uyo, the state capital. He regretted that the same government left the armed bandits, and Boko Haram insurgents destroying lives and property to be moving freely but deployed military forces to the Southeast to descend on unarmed agitators. His words, “It is unfortunate that the Buhari-led Federal government is treating insurgents and armed bandits with kid gloves by leaving them to operate freely on daily bas...
‘Fulani warlord’ Iskilu Wakili arrested in Oyo
A joint team of Ibarapa security operatives, including Oodua Peoples Congress, Vigilante, and other groups have arrested the alleged notorious Fulani warlord terrorising Oyo communities, Iskilu Wakili. Newsmen gathered that Wakili was arrested after several attempts resulting in a gun battle. There had been reports that Wakili and his gang were involved in the killings and kidnapping of several people in Ibarapa, Oke Ogun, Oyo State. Wakili was nabbed barely seven days after his second-in-command, Isiaka Muhammadu, was arrested alongside four others. The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, confirmed Wakili’s arrest in a statement made available to newsmen by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, on Sunday. Adams said the Fulani warlord was arrested around 7 am on Sunday ...
PDP accuses APC of plot to take over Zamfara
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting a forceful take over of Zamfara State because of the security challenges confronting the state. The party levelled the accusation in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan. The North-west state is governed by a PDP governor, Bello Matawalle. Hundreds of students were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State by some bandits on Friday last week. They were, however, released in the early hours of Tuesday. On the same day, the APC-led the federal government declared the state a ‘no-fly-zone’ just as it again banned mining activities in the state to curb the rising insecurity. Before the Zamfara incident, at least 27 male students were abduct...
How to tackle students’ abduction – NUT, NAPTAN
Nigeria Union of Teachers The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and the National Parents Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, have proffered solutions to the incessant abduction of students by bandits in some parts of the country. Speaking in separate interviews with our correspodent, the two groups called on the federal and state governments to entrench the Safe Schools Initiative and deploy military personnel in schools across the country. National Secretary of the NUT, Dr. Mike Ene, said apart from the steps expected to be taken by the government to stem the ugly trend, every citizen should develop psychic eyes to help them be security-conscious at all times. He said: “These abductions here and there are deliberate steps to discourage education and encourage school drop out. It is unfo...
Zamfara governor: I’m ready to resign if it will end insecurity
The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, says he is ready to resign if that will end insecurity in his state. He said this on Wednesday while responding to questions on the abduction of over 200 Jangebe schoolgirls by bandits in the state last week on Channel Television’s Politics Today. When asked if he is intimidated with the decision of the Federal Government to ban flights in the state, he said, “I am ready to accept any solution that will bring security to my state. “I am not intimidated. If I know my resigning as a governor will make the people sleep with their two eyes closed, I can resign. I am not power-hungry. I have been having sleepless nights to protect the people of Zamfara State.” Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking f...
