Aliyu Tashas, the chairman of the Toto local council in Nasarawa, has ordered immediately suspending all forest activities within the local government area.
This is contained in a statement by Yahaya Toto, senior special assistant (SSA) to the Toto LGA chairman on media and communications in Toto on Sunday.
“Some criminals have turned the forests into their hideouts where they waylay, ambush, and kidnap farmers, timber operators and other innocent citizens,” said Mr Toto.
He added,
“Forests within the council have also become places where kidnappers held their victims to, and continue to demand ransom and in several cases kill their victims, revealing that two persons have been killed in one of the forests.”
The chairman said he was making security arrangements to flush out the bandits and kidnappers. He urged local council residents to be vigilant to avoid falling victim.
Those with genuine businesses in the forests should suspend their activities because the government will not sit by and allow miscreants to threaten the peace of the progressive people of the Toto local government area, he said.
The police command in Katsina says it killed five suspected terrorists, arrested one and recovered 143 animals in Jibia and Batsari LGAs.
This was disclosed in a statement by the command’s spokesman, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, on Sunday.
It said the team, in an intelligence-led operation, raided and cleared bandits’ camps in the two affected local governments, adding that the operation was conducted in collaboration with hunters and vigilantes.
“The operation was led by the command’s officer in charge of the Anti-kidnapping Unit and that of the Special Investigations Bureau (SIB).
The team succeeded in dislodging several notorious bandits’ camps at Marake, Garin Yara and Garin Labo villages, all in Batsari local government,” the police explained.
The command’s statement added,
“The team also dislodged another camp of one Audu Lankai, a notorious bandits’ leader terrorising Jibia and its environs.”
According to the police, during the operation, Abubakar Idris, 18, a suspected notorious bandit, was arrested, while five others were killed.
The statement further revealed that 38 cows, 40 sheep and 65 goats were recovered at the bandits’ camps.
The police are still combing the area for possible arrests of other bandits or to recover more of their corpses.
The police commissioner called on Katsina residents to continue to assist security agencies with vital information to curb criminal activities in the state.
Bandits have shot dead two brothers, Halilu Shittu and Muhammadu Shittu, in Azara village and rustled over 1,000 cows in neighbouring Bishini village, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
It was gathered that a yet-to-be identified man was also shot dead during the attack.
A resident of Azara, simply identified as Yahuza, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Trust, said said it happened on Saturday May 20, around 4pm.
He said the bandits, after shooting the brothers dead on their farm in Azara while they were producing charcoal, proceeded to Bishini and rustled over 1,000 cows after killing a villager.
The Sarkin Hausa of Azara, Ibrahim Isah, did not pick calls put across to him, but a source close to the chief who preferred anonymity confirmed the incident.
He said that the corpses of the two brothers were retrieved from the farm on Sunday.
He further said that rustled cows had been retrieved by the Yan-Sakai hunters and were in a forest waiting for security operatives to hand them over.
The Village Head of Bishini, Zamani Dogon Yaro, who also confirmed the incident, said, “Over 1,500 cows were rustled by the bandits, but as God will have it, the cows have been retrieved, except that we lost one person during the attack.”
Bandits have released three of the remaining seven students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State abducted about two years ago.
Those released are Elizabeth Ogechi Nwafor, Esther Sunday and Aliya Abubakar.
The chairman of parents of the Abducted School Girls’ Forum, Malam Salim Kaoje, said that the newly released girls arrived Kebbi on Monday afternoon, May 8, 2023.
“Yes they released three of the school girls to us on Sunday evening. They are already with the State Government,” Kaoje said.
He did not state if any ransom was paid. Recall that 96 of the FGC students were abducted when bandits attacked the school on June 17, 2021.
While some of the abductees regained their freedom shortly after the attack, 11 of the students remained in the bandits’ captivity.
It will be recalled that four of the girls, Bilha Musa, Faiza Ahmed, Rahma Abdullahi and Hafsa Murtala were released by notorious bandit leader, Dogo Gide last month.
Kaoje said they had paid an undisclosed amount of money to secure the release of the four girls after they sold their properties and a fund raising that saw many Nigerians assist the parents financially.
Bandits attacked Sabon Layi village near Kakangi town in Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State, killing nine villagers and looting shops.
According to residents who spoke to Daily Trust, the bandits stormed the village around 8am on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, shooting sporadically for about an hour.
A resident who identified himself as Ahmed said during the attack, the bandits looted shops and rustled cattle belonging to the villagers.
“Five bodies were recovered from the village, and four other bodies were found in a nearby bush. The bandits also carted away foodstuffs and animals from the village,” he said.
Another resident, Muhammadu Birnin Gwari, said his brother escaped from the village.
The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attack in a statement but did not mention the number of casualties.
However, he revealed that air strikes from the Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch neutralised several bandits after a distress call was received at around 9:44 am.
“It was confirmed that the bandits were shooting, rustling cattle, looting properties, and committing other heinous crimes, a situation which had residents scampering for safety,” he stated.
“Immediately, the Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch was contacted for action, and the unit responded promptly to the location. On arrival at Sabon Layi, a thorough scan revealed normal human activities at the reported location.
However, about four kilometers North of Sabon Layi village, the bandits were sighted fleeing for cover from the aircraft. They were engaged and neutralized in several passes.”
The Police Command in Zamfara, said its tactical team has neutralised two bandits and repelled attack on a remote community in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.
Spokesperson of the command, CSP Muhammad Shehu, in a statement on Monday, April 10, 2023, said other bandits fled with possible gunshot wounds during the encounter.
“The Commissioner of Police Zamfara State Police Command CP Kolo Yusuf PSC, has commended the resilience of the Joint Police and Military deployed to Curtail the menace of Armed Bandits and other Criminal Elements in the State, and called on the public to improve and sustain their partnership with the security agencies in an effort to restore lasting peace and security in the state,” the statement read.
“The Commissioner of Police made the commendation following the feat recorded during a fierce confrontation with suspected bandits in a community under Tsafe LGA, where an attempted banditry attack on the community was repelled and two (2) suspected bandits neutralised while others fled with possible gunshot wounds.
“The CP while reassuring the public of improved and sustained police commitment in the ongoing campaign against the resurgence of banditry activities in the state, tasked members of the communities on effective collaboration with all the security agencies in the state in order to continue to succeed in their operations across the state.”
No fewer than 80 children were Friday morning abducted by bandits in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The children are between the ages of 12 and 17, BBC Hausa reported.
Some parents of the abducted children who spoke to the British broadcaster said the victims were in the bush fetching firewood at about 8:00 a.m. when the assailants rounded them up and marched them away into the forest.
Bandits’ activities have refused to abate in Zamfara despite several government intervention to stem the criminal activity.
Hundreds of schoolchildren have been kidnapped and some later released upon payment of ransom.
The abductors are yet to reach the parents to make any demands as of the time BBC reported the kidnap.
The police command in Zamfara on Sunday confirmed the killing of SP Kazeem Raheem, the Maru Divisional Police Officer in the Maru council area.
Also slain was Rabi’u Umar, a police inspector attached to the division.Command spokesman Muhammad Shehu confirmed the killings in a statement on Sunday in Gusau.
“On 5th March, 2023, at about 0200hrs, bandits in large numbers, armed with sophisticated weapons, attacked Maru Divisional Police Headquarters in Maru LGA with intent to destabilise the security architecture of the town in order to easily attack and abduct members of the community,” said the police.
“However, the DPO and his team gallantly put up a strong resistance to repel the attackers.”
The statement added;
“Unfortunately, the DPO and the above-named inspector lost their lives while protecting the public.”
Police commissioner Kolo Yusuf reassured Zamfara residents of the command’s continuous commitment to protecting lives and property.
The police boss, according to the statement, deployed reinforcement to pursue the fleeing hoodlums to apprehend and prosecute them.
Command’s deputy police commissioner (operations), Iliyasu Kwarbai, led another police tactical team to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and confidence-building patrol.
Notorious bandit Kachalla Baleri flashed new naira notes in a viral propaganda video to demonstrate his unrestrained access to cash.
This comes as Nigerians continue to suffer with acute shortage of cash in circulation since the Central Bank announced the redesign of higher denominations of the naira while withdrawing old notes from the economy.
CBN governor Godwin Emefiele said while announcing the policy last year that part of the target was to cut off cash supply to bandits and terrorists who continue to kidnap for huge ransom.
In the viral video seen on social media Thursday, Mr Baleri flanked on both sides by three of his gang members, armed with AK 47 rifles, was seen in possession of the new naira notes, deriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime of lying that new naira notes policy will bar bandits from kidnapping for ransom.
“It is a barefaced lie to claim that the naira redesign will prevent terrorists, I mean those of us they designated as terrorists from accessing money.
But you can see the new notes here with us,” Mr Baleri said.Showing off with the new notes, the bandits leader said “as you can see, this one is the N200 new note, this other one is the N500 and this one is the N1,000 new notes. We are in the jungle but we have them.”
We cannot immediately ascertain when and where the viral video was recorded.
However, the development raises questions on how bandits in the forest have access to new naira notes that have been scarce in circulation.
The 43 Muslim worshippers who were kidnapped at Zugu community in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state have been freed.
Sources told Channels Television that the kidnap victims were freed on Tuesday night September 6, at about 10:30 pm after the payment of five million Naira ransom.
It was disclosed that the bandits also requested and got supplies of several jerry cans of petrol.
Members of the Zugu community disclosed that 44 persons were kidnapped from the village but one person died in the bandits’ camp as a result of torture.
The other 43, however, returned to the village unhurt and have since been reunited with their families. While the police is yet to give full details of the release, however, after the abductions, the Zamfara command deployed additional tactical operatives to the area to ensure that normalcy returns.
Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Kolo Yusuf who reiterated that the command is committed to rid the state of criminal activities, appealed for continuous support and collaboration to all the security operatives in an effort to achieve this mandate.
Hassan Nasiha, Deputy Governor of Zamfara state has said that notorious bandit kingpin in the state, Bello Turji has embraced peace overtures by the government.
Speaking at a conference on security organised by the Students Union of Medina University, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday August 21, Nasiha who claimed that Turji’s repentance has brought about peace in Birnin Magaji, Shinkafi and Zurmi LGAs in Zamfara, added that the erstwhile bandit kingpin is now killing his unrepentant colleagues.
He also revealed that Turji has met with bandits in the 14 LGAs of the state.
Nasiha said;
“In the last three months, there has not been any bandits attack at Magami district as a result of the peace initiative with bandits.
“Everyone knows the notorious bandits’ kingpin, Bello Turji who has operated on that axis.
“The state government through the peace committee entered into a peace deal with the bandits’ leader and he agreed to stop the criminality and to embrace peace.
“Turji is now killing unrepentant bandits who unleashed terror on innocent citizens in Shinkafi, Zurmi and Birnin Magaji local government areas.”
The Deputy Governor who further noted that a peace committee set up by the state government met with nine bandit groups in their camps at Magami and Dansadau emirates where they raised their concerns, said the state government has ordered the return of cattle grazing routes, lands, water for livestock and other property seized by Hausas to the herders.
Reiterating that the order must be respected by both parties to enable the return of law and order in the communities, he also revealed that the Fulanis appealed to the state government to consider freeing their youths currently in detention in correctional centres and in police cells.
Nasiha added;
“They said Hausas always attacked and raped their women, killing the Fulani on their way to or returning from markets.
“They equally requested for schools for their kids and other social services including fertilisers and farm inputs.
“They said lack of education would influence a 12-year-old Fulani boy to kill a 70-year-old man using AK-47 rifle.”
Governor Matawalle signs death penalty for kidnappers, bandits, others in Zamfara.
The Zamfara state governor, Bello Matawalle, has signed into law a death penalty on anybody found guilty of banditry, cattle rustling, cultism, or serving as a bandits’ informant.
The Governor announced this in a broadcast to the people of the state on Tuesday, August 16.
He said
“On the 28th of June this year, I assented to the bill on Prohibition and Punishment for Banditry, Cattle Rustling, Cultism, Kidnapping and Other Incidental Offences, 2022.
The law provides a legal instrument for prosecuting banditry-related offenders.Based on the new law, anyone found guilty of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, cultism, or serving as a bandits’ informant is subject to the death penalty.
Similarly, anyone found guilty of supporting in any manner the aforementioned offences faces a sentence of life in prison, 20 years in jail, or ten years in prison, without the option of a fine.”
Matawalle stated that the measures were part of his administration’s unrelenting efforts to tackle the problem of banditry that has plagued the state and the neighboring northwestern states for more than a decade.
“Gladly, the latest measures are beginning to yield the intended results despite the pockets of attacks here and there by the bandits”he said
He described the activities of informants as a major change towards addressing insecurity challenges in the state, expressing optimism that the situation would soon come to an end.
“With regards to the issue of informants, which is the major impediment in the fight against banditry, I am glad to inform the peace-loving people of Zamfara State that we have succeeded in apprehending many of them.
They are currently being interrogated before being prosecuted in accordance with the fullest extent of the law.”he said
Suspected badits have killed Alhaji Mohammed Kudu Mawa, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) zonal coordinator for Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States. It was gathered that the accountant was shot dead by bandits along Lapai-Lambata road, Niger State in the late hours of Sunday, August 7, 2022.
The victim was said to be on the way back to his Kaduna residence from Lafiaji, Kwara State, when he was ambushed by the gunmen.
Ansaru terrorists, a bandit group, which claimed responsibility for the abduction of Kaduna-Abuja train passengers early March, has again threatened to slaughter the remaining 51 victims.
DAILY POST reports that a few days ago, Tukur Mamu, a negotiator between the bandits and the Federal Government raised an alarm over the health condition of the victims, as they are being bitten by snakes and reptiles.
He later confirmed that one of the victims was shot, as a warning to hasten the response to the agreement between the Federal Government and the bandits.
However, in an audio in circulation, which is believed to be a voice of one of the group members, they threatened to slaughter the victims because the government failed to seek for their release.
A Kaduna based publisher, Tukur Mamu, a negotiator, confirmed to DAILY POST on Wednesday, that the audio was real and that the group had fixed Wednesday (today) to carry out the threat.
According to him, they became provoked on Monday after giving us another opportunity.
“I was crying and pleading with them that since there is a delay from the government, they should discuss with the family members directly to negotiate the victims’ release.
“Based on the plea, they agreed to negotiate directly with the victims’ families.
“But they said they are giving us till Wednesday, that if there was nothing concrete from those that are interested in the negotiation, they will start slaughtering some of the victims,” he said.
A medical doctor identified as Dr. Mansur Mohammed and many other people have been abducted by the notorious bandits operating in Zamfara State.
The State’s chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has condemned the attack, urging the Federal and the State governments to rise up to the security challenges.
Dr. Mansur, who is the Director-General of Dansadau General Hospital, was said to have been kidnapped on Saturday, June 25, 2022, along Dansadau-Magami road as bandits blocked the road.
DAILY POST learnt that many passengers were also kidnapped in the operation.
DAILY POST reports that the security operatives in the State State now appear helpless as the bandits continue to unleash terror attacks in every part of the State.
However, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ayuba Elkanah has not made any statement regarding the massive killings and kidnappings in the State.
Local and federal highways in the North-west have become vulnerable as bandits continue to ambush and abduct travelers.
The gunmen who abducted 29 people returning to Zamfara State from Sokoto State where they had gone to attend the wedding of colleagues have released them after the payment of an unspecified ransom.
The victims, who were mostly dealers of mobile phones and phone accessories at Bebeji Communication Market (Bebeji Plaza) in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State were abducted in Sokoto 13 days ago.
Secretary of the GSM Dealers Association in the state, Ashiru Zurmi, confirmed the release of the victims but didn’t give details.
One of the victims reportedly died in captivity.
Though the amount paid as ransom to secure the release of the hostages has not been revealed, Abdullahi Lawal, whose brother was among those abducted, said their relatives were asked to make donations. He said his family raised N33,000 while the phone sellers’ association “provided the remaining money.”
“Every family was told to gather N400,000 while the members of the plaza and their colleagues in the state provided the remaining money. Some family members were able to raise the money in full, but we couldn’t. I took the money to the plaza and I was told that they were still negotiating with the bandits” he said.
He said he didn’t know how much was given to the bandits “but I’m happy that my brother is okay,” he said.
From N5m to N700,000
A phone accessories seller, Sharhabilu Muhammad, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that the officials of the phone dealers association negotiated with the bandits to reduce the ransom they originally demanded to release the captives.
“You know that the initial money they said was N5m for each of the captives but our officials kept negotiating with them (bandits) until they reduced the money to N700k,” he said.
When asked about the person who reportedly died in captivity, Mr Muhammed said his identity has not been revealed.
“We don’t know because even the bandits didn’t tell but we’ll surely find out when they (captives) arrive at Gusau tonight,” he added.
The police command spokesman, Mohammed Shehu, didn’t respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the development.
Backstory
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the wedding guests were abducted when bandits opened fire on the two buses they were travelling in a few kilometres after Bimasa in the Dogon Awo junction, Sokoto State.
They were returning from Tambuwal town in Sokoto State where they had attended the wedding of a colleague, Jamil Umar.
The bandits had demanded a ransom of N145 million to release the 29 hostages.
Bandits have been terrorising North-west states and a part of North-central Nigeria, killing and displacing hundreds of people and rustling domestic animals.
Travelling on federal and local highways is becoming dangerous as bandits block roads, abduct and kill motorists.
Major federal highways including Abuja-Kaduna, Gusau-Sokoto-Birnin Kebbi, and Birnin Gwari-Kaduna have become travellers’ nightmares with attacks and abduction or killing of travellers becoming a daily occurrence.
Bandits on Tuesday reportedly attacked Gidan train Station along the Abuja-Kaduna rail track.
The attack was the second along the same axis in 24 hours.
Armed bandits had on Monday bombed a train carrying 950 passengers and forced it to derail a few minutes into the trip.
Eyewitnesses claimed the terrorists may have planted Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the tracks forcing the train heading to Abuja from Kaduna to a stop.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday ordered an immediate security surveillance of every part of Nigeria in a bid to check the worsening insecurity in the country.
Fifteen people have been confirmed dead in a fresh attack by bandits who invaded the Hayin Kanwa village in the Yakawada ward of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Monday night.
Though the Kaduna State Police spokesman, DSP Mohammed Jalige could not be reached to confirm the incident, a resident, Obed Bobai, who spoke to Ripples Nigeria on Tuesday morning, said the attack was the third in the past two weeks.
“Our community, Hayin Kanwa in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State was again, attacked by heavily armed bandits on Monday night.
The bandits came into the community around 11pm and began shooting indiscriminately. In the process, they killed about 15 people while many others were injured as they tried to escape into the surrounding forest.
“The Monday attack would make it the third time our community would be attacked in the past two weeks and no one is coming to our aid,” Bobai said.
Another resident, Innocent David, described the situation as scary as the people have been living in fear, not knowing when the next attack will come.
“It is sad the way our communities in Giwa and other local councils in Kaduna South are being attacked almost every day.
“The killing and kidnapping of our people is getting out of hand and we just can’t help ourselves. It is as if the bandits want to drive us away from our ancestral homes.
“Every time these attacks happen, the government will release statements saying they are on top of the matter but they will not do anything to stop the bandits.
“The situation right now is terrible. Just yesterday night, (Monday)15 more people were killed by the bandits at Hayin Kanwa. They have been attacking Giwa since last week and we are in serious danger,” David lamented.
Bandits on Sunday night killed 34 persons, including two soldiers during attacks on several communities in Kaura local government area of Kaduna State.
The state’s Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.
He said over 200 houses and 32 shops were burnt while three vehicles and 17 motorcycles were vandalised in Tsonje, Agban, Katanga and Kadarko.
The commissioner revealed that seven persons sustained injuries in the attacks.
Aruwan listed the victims as Angelina Aboi, Godiya Iliya, Peace Iliya, Stephen Emmanuel, Patrick Pius, Gwamna Ishaya, Philip Joseph, Godwin Latong, Aba Chawai and Nancy Luka.
Others are Sophia Luka, Hosea James, Daniel Sofa, Geoffrey Ado, Bala James, Henry Dauda, Augustine Iliya, and Irmiya Michael.
He said: “Security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that after search operations and detailed checks, 34 people have been confirmed dead following Sunday’s attack in Kaura LGA.
“According to the report, four locations were attacked by unidentified assailants – Tsonje, Agban, Katanga and Kadarko, all within Kagoro Chiefdom of Kaura LGA.
“Two military personnel were among the 34 killed, with local residents making up 32 casualties.”
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