Insecurity: Royal father kidnapped, killings choke Niger, Katsina

 

…Gunmen on bikes kidnap district head in his palace in Wawa, Niger State

 

…Wife, 2 children of Katsina lawmaker abducted

…78-year old brother of Katsina SSG kidnapped

…Police confirm kidnap of woman, 2 daughters by gunmen in Abuja

…Lock-downs not enough, go for sustained military assault on terrorists, NEF pleads with Northern govs

By Kingsley Omonobi, Wole Mosadomi, Bashir Bello & Luminous Jannamike

The wave of kidnapping in the country continued weekend, as bandits killed ward head of Masaku, Malam Yahuza, in Gundawa area of Katsina State, and abducted the wife and two children of the lawmaker representing Bakori constituency in the state House of Assembly, Dr. Ibrahim Kurami.

 

Also kidnapped was the District Head of Wawa in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, Alhaji Mahmud Ahmed Aliyu, the Dodo of Wawa.

The killing and abductions came as Northern Elders Forum, NEF, asked governors, especially in the north, to go beyond the imposition of economic and social lockdown on communities besieged by terrorists, and facilitate an aggressive and effective military assault on the bandits.

 

Recall that the gale of abductions in the north last week, culminated in the kidnap of 73 students of Government Day Secondary School, Kaya in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State, last Wednesday.

Vanguard learned that the traditional ruler, called “Dodo of Wawa”, aged 53 years, was abducted by unknown gunmen from his palace on Saturday night around 10pm.

How District Head was abducted

It was reliably gathered that the heavily armed gunmen stormed the District Head’s palace on motorcycles and started shooting sporadically to scare residents within and outside the Palace before gaining entry into the Palace.

The gunmen succeeded in whisking him to an unknown destination. A source said the gunmen took Alhaji Aliyu through the Kainji National park and headed towards Benin Republic.

Wawa is a border town with Benin Republic.

The district head, a medical doctor, is a PHD holder in Environmental Science from a Malaysian university.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State police command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident, adding that Police Special Tactical Team had been sent on the trail of the kidnappers.

He assured that they would be apprehended soon.

Lawmaker’s wife, two children grabbed

In another attack, gunmen, suspected to be bandits, also on Saturday night, kidnapped the wife and two children of the lawmaker representing Bakori constituency in the Katsina State House of Assembly, Dr. Ibrahim Kurami.

The bandits, according to a resident, stormed the country house of the lawmaker located at Kurami village in Bakori LGA of the state at about 9:00 pm on Saturday after the Muslim night pr.

At the time of the incident, the lawmaker was away, participating in the All Progressives Congress, APC, LG congress in his council.

Spokesman for the Katsina State police command, SP Gambo Isah, promised to comment on the incident after getting details from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Bakori council.

Another district head killed

In a related attack, gunmen, suspected to be bandits, also killed the ward head of Masaku, Malam Yahuza, in Gundawa area, Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

A source told Vanguard that the bandits stormed the area on Saturday night, killing the ward head and rustling all livestock in the village.

In another attack, a group of bandits attacked Danmusa LGA and abducted the brother of Secretary to Katsina State Government,  Kabir Muhammed.

The Director, Press to the SSG, Abdullah Yar’adua confirmed the abduction of the elder brother to his principal, Mustapha Mohammed Inuwa.

Yar’adua said the 78-year-old man was abducted from their Danmusa home town last Wednesday.

Yar’adua said: “The man was abducted alone while on his farm on Wednesday, September 1, in Diftau, located in Danmusa LGA.

“The matter has since been reported to the security agencies who are on top of the matter, though no demand has been made by his abductors.

Police confirm kidnap of woman, 2 daughters by gunmen in Abuja

Operatives of the Federal Capital Police Command, yesterday, confirmed the abduction of a woman, Mrs Bukola Oladapo in Pegi, Kuje, Abuja even as the Police said a manhunt has been launched to arrest the kidnappers and rescue the victims.

Mrs Bukola Olapade, 45 years old and her two daughters, Moyo, 17 and Glory, 14, were said to have been whisked away by the gunmen, who broke into her home at about 1.20 am of Sunday

Residents said the gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles scaled the fence of the victims’ house at a resettlement area in the community and forced the doors open.

Speaking on the development, FCT Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndiparya, said the command had commenced a manhunt for the kidnappers and efforts to rescue the victims.

He said: “Efforts are being made by the command to ensure the victims are rescued safely.”

‘Lockdowns not enough, NEF tells govs‘

Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has asked state governors to go beyond the imposition of economic and social lockdown on communities besieged by terrorists, and facilitate an aggressive and effective military assault on the bandits.

 

The Forum also advised the governors against allowing the perception that communities were on their own, even in the face of severe security threats, to take deeper roots.

NEF Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who made the call in a statement, titled ‘’Security of Besieged Communities,’’ yesterday, said:  “We are closely following the condition of many Northern communities that have become particularly vulnerable to attacks and abuse by bandits, kidnappers and related organized criminals.

“Measures being taken by some state governments, such as suspension of weekly markets, restriction on sale of petrol, closure of schools and some roads, curfews, movement of cattle and plans to restrict communication will compound the desperate conditions of living of many communities in the North.

“These measures represent virtual economic and social lockdowns on people who had been at the mercy of criminals for a long time.

‘’Unless they are accompanied by an aggressive and effective assault on the banditry and kidnapping , they will merely add to the misery and hopelessness of our communities.”

“Worse, they could further embolden the bandits and the kidnappers when it becomes clear that governments and security agencies cannot go beyond lockdowns on communities.

“Communities themselves will lose even more faith in the capacity of the Nigerian state to respond to their desperate circumstances.”

‘’The perception that communities are on their own must never be allowed to take deeper roots, but it will, when people see only the bandit and the kidnapper winning.

“State governments imposing additional hardships on communities must know that the measures they are introducing must produce tangible results within a period that makes them meaningful and tolerable.”

The Forum called on the Federal Government to assist states to relieve communities living under additional pressures.

 

Nigeria News Paper