Lifestyle

Bandits kill vigilante, abduct several villagers in Niger state

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Bandits kill vigilante, abduct several villagers in Niger state Bandits killed a vigilante and shot another in Ebbo community in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.

It was gathered that several villagers were also abducted in several attacks on communities in the state.

According to Daily Trust report, the bandits stormed Ebbo community around 10:45 pm on Wednesday, Septemeber 14, and went straight to the vigilante office where they killed one of the vigilantes and shot another one in the leg.

It was also learnt that the Wednesday attack came four days after the neighbouring communities of Kpada and Yaba, border communities to the Federal Capital Territory, were attacked during which at least one person also lost his life while several residents fled their homes.

Residents said attackers also raided Angwan Dajin Gomna in Kpada community and kidnapped five persons before moving to Zago village and lafiyan Zago where they abducted 10 others after operating for hours.

Residents said the area had been under constant attacks in the last few months, scaring residents and farmers away from going about their normal duties.

“We were at a viewing centre watching football when we heard sporadic shooting of guns. We all ran out and it was bandits in their numbers. We had to run for our dear lives. But as I speak with you, our vigilantes are after them in the bush,” a resident told Daily Trust.

The leader of the vigilantes in Ebbo community, Mallam Yusuf Adalami, told Daily Trust that the injured member had been rushed to Gulu General Hospital while his men were on the trail of the bandits who fled into forests.

He said the attackers arrived on motorcycles and opened fire on his members. “They came on motorcycles in their numbers and came straight to our office.

They started shooting sporadically at our office. Our major challenge is lack of weapons. We don’t have the kind of weapons they use,” Adalami said.

“Even when we were to take one of our members who sustained severe injuries, we didn’t get vehicle easily. And on our way, the car broke down again.

It took hours before we could get another car to take him to the hospital. His condition is severe; we may have to take him to another place for treatment.”

Lifestyle

Sheikh Gumi urges Nigerians to show more sympathy for bandits

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Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi has urged Nigerians to show more understanding and empathy to bandits in order to aid their repentance and re-integration into the society.

Gumi made this assertion on Thursday via a lecture delivered at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.

He said “if people listen to the bandits, they would become amenable to abandoning their violent ways”, while noting that residents can develop “mutual relationship with the bandits without being harmed.”

Gumi also detailed his interactions with the bandits in response to a question from a student.

“My interaction(s) with the bandits have been easy because I always go through the door, not the window. If you go through the door, you will go in and come back safely,” the cleric said.

In response to why the bandits did not abduct him despite repeated meetings, he said, “When we meet them, we don’t speak, we give them the microphone to speak even for one hour.

“When we first approached them, we saw that they were holding their warrant (weapons) ready to fire. By the time we finish our meeting, they will hand in their weapons and we will be taking pictures.

“So this is the power of human interaction which is what we are here to study as social scientists. That is the approach.”

He stated that he was able to gain the respect of the bandits through his pacifist approach while urging Nigerians to emulate the same.

That is the respect I give them. I say come, come and sit with me. Come and sit down. I want to hear from you. With that respect, the Fulani man, you can get him.

“So don’t be surprised, if you are nice to him, if you are ready to listen to him, if you are trying to understand his problem, if you put your legs in his own shoes, he will listen to you, you will go to the forest and return safely, God willing,” the cleric said.

Politics

Bandits kill eight people, kidnap ten in Kaduna

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Kaduna State was thrown into further mayhem as suspected bandits reportedly killed eight people and abducted four female members of the Anglican Church at Kasuwan Magani in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Ripples Nigeria also gathered that six occupants of a vehicle were kidnapped by the bandits along the Kaduna-Kachia road on Tuesday, April 6.

This was confirmed by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, in a statement on Tuesday.

Furthermore, the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed the abduction of its members, saying the abductors were demanding a N100m ransom.

The latest kidnapping came 12 days after their counterparts from the Redeemed Christian Church of God were abducted on the same road.

According to Aruwan, the bandits barricaded the Kaduna-Kachia road around Kadanye village in the Kajuru LG and opened fire on a bus as well as a truck carrying firewood.

Aruwan gave the names of those killed as Alfred Makinde (the driver of the bus), Abdulrahman Dela, Dauda Adamu, Umar Dauda, and Abdulrasheed Musa while the injured three were Murtala Ibrahim, Ali Manager, and Abdullahi (full name unknown).

Similarly, he said bandits barricaded the Kaduna-Kachia road at the Doka axis of the Kajuru LGA and shot at a truck, killing the driver.

He said, “Eight killed, four injured by bandits in Kajuru and Kachia local government areas.

On a sad note, security agencies have reported the killing of eight persons in separate incidents in Kajuru and Kachia local government areas.

“In one incident, bandits barricaded the Kaduna-Kachia road around Kadanye village in the Kajuru LGA and opened fire on a bus, as well as a truck carrying firewood.”

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