Lifestyle

Bandits raze 200 houses, 32 shops in 4 Kaduna communities

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Bandits on Sunday night burnt 200 houses and 37 shops in four communities of 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 added that 34 persons including two soldiers were killed and seven others injured in the attacks on Tsonje, Agban, Katanga and Kadarko villages.

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.

“Furthermore, over 200 houses and 32 shops were burnt in the attack. Three vehicles and 17 motorcycles were vandalised.”

Lifestyle

Bandits reportedly kill 11 in Kaduna communities

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Bandits reportedly killed 11 people in Kagoro and other neighbouring communities in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna on Thursday.

An unspecified number of people were injured in the attack.

Residents told journalists on Friday, the hoodlums stormed the area at about 6:00 p.m. with dangerous weapons and started shooting in various directions.

They also set fire on buildings and took away food items from the communities.

Lifestyle

Bandits kill 11 in Kaduna community

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Bandits on Sunday killed 11 people at Kurmin Masara in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, said several others were injured in the attack.

Aruwan said: “Security personnel have begun search-and-rescue operations and are pursuing the attackers on multiple fronts.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has expressed regret over the incident and prayed for the souls of those who lost their lives in the attack.

“He also expressed condolences to their families, and wished the injured a swift recovery.”

Politics

Bandits controlling Nigerian territories under Buhari’s watch – Shehu Sani

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A former federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani, on Tuesday decried the menace of bandits and Boko Haram insurgents in the country.

Sani, a staunch critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, said in a post on his Facebook page the bandits had established a governance structure, imposed taxes and levies on the people, kidnapped for ransom and installed traditional rulers and Imams, while the government continued to deceive Nigerians with claims of success in the fight against the criminals.

He wrote: “Virtually now, bandits in the North-West have become a state within a state.

Bandits have been able to establish governance structure in the sense that they don’t just kidnap and extort money, it has reached a point where they even install.

“They even install traditional rulers and Imams in these communities. And all of these are happening under the watch of President Buhari.

“And they will continue to lie to Nigerians that they have defeated the bandits and terrorists.”

Politics

Nigerians must prepare to fight bandits – Governor Masari

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Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari has urged Nigerians to prepare themselves to fight bandits terrorizing the nation.

He spoke on Tuesday while addressing journalists, saying that residents need to do their best to protect their neighborhood from attacks.

This is also as Masari announced that telecommunication services would soon be restored in affected places and commended the efforts of security agencies and vigilance groups fighting outlaws.

Katsina state recently lifted the ban on 10 out of the 17 Local Government Areas.

The governor advised residents to support operatives with timely and credible information on criminals.

“We must prepare to fight back as individuals; to fight the bandits because they are evil and represent evil.

“By God’s grace we will not handover this country to the next generation of leaders under this condition. We must restore normalcy”, he said.

Politics

Bandits kill Kaduna monarch, Magaji Ibrahim

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The Magajin Garin Idasu, Malam Magaji Ibrahim, of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been shot dead.

The incident comes on the heels of an attack that claimed 38 people across Kaduna state.

Ridwan Abdulhadi, youth leader in the area, confirmed the incident to journalists on Monday.

According to Abdulhadi, over 70 percent of the people in the village have fled to ‎safer communities in some parts of Zaria and Giwa town.

Sharehu Idasu, a resident of the community, ‎said the Kaduna monarch was shot while alerting the community of the bandit invasion.

He said: “He was shot by the bandits after they invaded Idasu community on Sunday night and stole motorcycles. The deceased came out to call for help but was shot.”

Lifestyle

Bloody Monday, as bandits take over Kaduna-Zaria highway, kill many, kidnap dozens

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It was a bloody Monday along the Kaduna-Zaria highway after a band of heavily armed bandits took over the road, killing scores of travellers while abducting many others.

Information garnered by Ripples Nigeria had it that the deadly attack occurred at Kofar Gayan on the outskirt of Zaria around 8pm on Monday, with that terrorists shooting sporadically at vehicles in order to immobilize them and abduct the passengers.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers succeeded in abducting many travellers and took them into the bush before the arrival of security agents.

“They kidnapped many travellers, some fled, while others were shot at. It will be difficult to determine the number of those killed or abducted,” a witness was quoted as saying.

“The terrorists were many and fully armed. They were shooting as if in a war situation. It was scary. I can tell you that they may have killed over 10 passengers and they also kidnapped many other people.

“They had a field day operating for many hours before security operatives came but the damage had been done by then,” a passenger who managed to escape the carnage also narrated.

The state police spokesman, ASP Mohammed Jalige, as well as the state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, were yet to confirm the incident as calls to their phones were not responded to before going to press.

Politics

Police Affairs Minister, Dingyadi, says bandits’ attacks too frequent for Buhari to visit all affected communities

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The inability of President Muhammadu Buhari to visit and condole with Nigerians affected by insecurity and banditry, has been blamed on the frequency of recurring incidents.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, who made this clarification on Monday in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, said it would be practically impossible for President Buhari to physically be at the affected places as the attacks occur too frequently.

In the past one week, Nigerians have been up in arms, lambasting the President over his refusal to visit Sokoto State to commiserate with the people following the burning of 45 passengers by terrorist.

The anger was further accentuated when the President visited Lagos to grace a book launch by APC chieftain, Bisi Akande, which triggered a serious backlash.

Although Buhari later delegated a high-powered delegation of security chiefs to visit Sokoto and Katsina states to access the situation, critics still faulted his absence in the states.

However, Dingyadi defended the President by alluding to the fact that the “incessant attacks and killings by the terrorists are too frequent to allow the president visit all the places.”

“These attacks are happening almost on a daily basis and are not possible for the President to visit all the places for condolences. And if you send a delegation, it is as if you were there, is all the same,” the Police Affairs Minister said.

“As much as the President is worried and concerned about these incidents, you will agree with me that it is practically impossible for him to visit all the places due to nature of his job and the occurrences of the attacks.

“And this is the reason he sends people, especially security chiefs to represent him,” Dingyadi reiterated.

Lifestyle

Sheikh Gumi establishes school for herdsmen to curb banditry

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Popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has established a school for herdsmen inside a forest in Kaduna state.

He embarked on an inspection visit to the Sheikh Uthman Bin Fodio Centre at Kagarko Grazing Reserve Kohoto Village, Kaduna state over the weekend.

Gumi said the provision of infrastructures to herdsmen in their remote locations could help in curbing their violent ideologies.

According to the scholar, insecurity in Nigeria, particularly banditry can become a thing of the past, as bandits are ready to drop their arms if education opportunities and other basic amenities are provided for them at the grassroots.

He said; “If the centre which is designed to educate the herdsmen is replicated everywhere in the Country, Nigerians will live in peace.

Instead of spending billions on military hardware to fight the bandits, Nigeria should spend such money on schools and teachers. I have spoken with the bandits and they have expressed willingness to drop their arms and embrace peace, if their children can be given education and other social amenities.

What motivated me to start this project was to solve the insecurity problem we have from the root because every crime has its perpetrators and perpetrators are drawn from a pool so we want to go there and dry the pool and we found out that education is the best cure.

If they are educated, they will not be doing what they are doing.

So, we say we must take education to the grassroot and we embarked on the project to also be an example for others, local government, state and federal and rich individuals even cooperative societies to come together and make sure that we are directed across the forest to know what we can do to carter for nomads; it does not cost much, very little and it will help to educate them and we will live peacefully with them.

What we have here is a centre containing six classrooms that can be used for primary, secondary schools and at various times you can teach all categories at all times and the place will be engaged for 24 hours because the herdsmen usually take their cattle out by 10am and bring them back by dawn or sunset so they have 2 hours before they take their cattle away and we have 2 to 3 hours because we like to put some solar light so that they can read 8, 9, 10 in the night so that the herder can go and come back.

We have schools, we have hospital and also showing them how to grind the foliage which they can use to feed their animals, some of them don’t need to go out because those things are so cheap and farmers are throwing those things away, soon farmers will start charging for it. If we can duplicate this everywhere Nigerians will live in peace.”

While he denied saying Nigeria will seize to exist if bandits are declared as terrorists, Gumi said;

“It is a quotation out of context , I didn’t say there will be no Nigeria, I said if banditry now has turned into terrorism, fanatical religious terrorism which is there because Islam recognises religious terrorism so if we allow the herdsmen to turn into religious fanatic and extremist it will not be good for us as a nation.

99% of the herdsmen are not into banditry but if you turn it into religious struggle they will just go there committing crime, so it is not good to label them as terrorist because it will profile all herdsmen as terrorist because you are attaching it to herdsmen, you are not attaching it to an organization and if you say herdsmen are terrorist Nigeria will have problem, the whole course will be on fire, the north south and east will be on fire and nothing will remain of Nigeria if everywhere is on fire.

There is a lot that can be done to improve insecurity in Nigeria such as having this kind of centre instead of spending billions on hardware, let’s spend it on schools and teachers even the bandits I have spoken with them as i’m speaking with you to drop down their weapons to study, so long their women and Children will learn they are ready to drop their weapons, so why won’t we embrace peace?”

Politics

Gumi warns, says declaring bandits terrorists will have consequences

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Kaduna based controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has warned against declaration of bandits as terrorists, saying such action from government will come with a prize.

Ripples Nigeria had earlier reported that speakers of the 36 state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria on Saturday called on the Federal Government to declare bandits and kidnappers as terrorists, adding that kidnapping and banditry should be dealt with decisively.

The Speakers made the call after the National Assembly and Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai had made same demand.

Gumi while reacting to the calls in a statement titled, ‘Declaring Bandits As Terrorists Will Come With A Prize’, said the moment bandits are termed terrorists, the direct foreign Jihadist movements will set in in force.

This, he said may be found palatable and attractive by many teaming unemployed youths.

The statement read in part: “Nobody doubts that sentimentalism today overrides sensibility in our polity. For the sake of posterity, some people will have to speak out.

The acts the bandits are committing now in NW have gradually over time become tantamount to terrorism because wherever innocent people are fatal victims it’s pure terrorism. Yet, innocence these days is relative. We agreed if their children and women are also killed, they are guilty by association or collateral damage, so also the bandits may think the same way. It’s right for vigilantes to lynch Fulanis herdsmen or anyone that looks like them by profiling but wrong for the herdsmen to ransack villages in retribution. They are pushed to believe it is an existential war and in war, ethics are thrown to the winds.

“Yet again, the only helpful part that is against bandits is that no other than them are attracted to join them in the NW because of its ethnic tinge and coloration.

However, the moment they are termed Terrorist – Islamic for that matter, the direct foreign Jihadist movements will set in in force. And many teaming unemployed youths may find it palatable and attractive. Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ plus AK47 against a ‘secular’ immoral society where impunity reigns are the magnet for extremists and downtrodden – the majority of our youth.

“Already these deadly terrorist groups are fighting for the soul of these bandits. This will give criminality a spiritual cover and remove the stigma of discrediting them with such crimes since now they are fighting a ‘Jihad’ as they will claim.

“In such a situation, does the larger society -as it is, has the moral high ground to fight back? This is the most probable consequence, the price of which is not worth it. Nothing stops the kinetic actions from going on without the controversy of semantics.”

Lifestyle

12 killed as bandits invade Zamfara village

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No fewer than 12 people have been killed in an attack by bandits who invaded Sakajiki village in Kaura Namoda Emirate in Zamfara State.

The incident was confirmed on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mohammed Shehu.

According to him, there would have been more casualties in the attack if not for the response of the police operatives deployed in the area.

Also, Shehu said the commissioner of police in the state has deployed an additional squad for reinforcement.

He assured the people of the area that the command would redouble its efforts to ensure that banditry was wiped out of the state.

Confirming the incident, a resident of the area said the assailants had arrived in the village at about 9 pm on Thursday and were there for several hours.

He noted that at least 12 persons were confirmed dead after the attackers ended their operation around 4 am, on Friday.

Meanwhile, the attackers were said to have set several shops and houses ablaze, including a police outpost in the area, as well as several vehicles, one of which was a police patrol van.

Politics

Masari decries release of bandits, others by courts

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The Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has faulted the release of suspected bandits, rapists, and other criminals by the courts.

Masari, who spoke during the swearing-in of three newly appointed High Court judges in Katsina, charged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to counsel its members who are in the habit of helping criminals to secure bail through the instrument of fundamental rights enforcement to be ethical and avoid comprise under cover.

He said: “We are in an unusual time of serious security challenges and must therefore put heads together to address these unusual challenges.

“We have had incidents where suspected bandits, terrorists, armed robbers, and rapists were released on bail only for them to commit the same offence.

Such ugly incidents could have been averted if bail was not granted at all.

“The overriding objective of every legal system, he said, is to deliver justice which is the best pivot and pillar that upholds the very best of decency and the best guarantee for peace, prosperity, and good governance.

“The age-long adage that justice delayed is justice denied, has been a thing of concern to the government.

“Thus there is the need to address the speed of justice among all stakeholders in the justice sector.

“It was in response to the Justice Sector Reform in the state that the state Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2019 and the state Penal Code Law, 2019 were repealed and replaced with the new laws of 2021.”

Lifestyle

Bandits kill 20 in Sokoto market

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Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday evening killed 20 people at Ungwan Lalle market in Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State.

The incident occurred just 24 hours after 11 people were killed by a local vigilante group, Yan Sakai, at Mammande weekly market in Gwadabawa local government area of the state.

A former chairman of Sabon Birni LGA, Abdullahi Tsamaye, who confirmed the incident to journalists on Saturday, said several people were also injured in the attack.

He added that the bandits stormed the market in large numbers and started shooting sporadically.

“Several vehicles and other properties were destroyed in the attack,” Tsamaye said.

The Special Assistant to the Minister for Police Affairs, Idris Gobir, also confirmed the incident.

He said 22 people including traders were killed in the attack.

Lifestyle

Bandits kill 19, raze houses in Zamfara

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Bandits on Tuesday night killed at least 19 people during an attack on Kuryar Madaro village in the Kaura Namoda local government area of the state.

Residents told journalists on Wednesday the bandits attacked the village for several hours, looted shops, and stole domestic animals.

One of them said the hoodlums also razed 13 houses and 16 vehicles, including those belonging to the police, during the attack.

The spokesman of the state police command, Mohammed Shehu, who confirmed the incident was silent on the casualty figure.

Politics

Buhari’s govt not ready to declare bandits as terrorists – Falana

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A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on Sunday warned Nigerians against branding terrorists as bandits.

The lawyer made the call in a statement in Lagos.

He was reacting to the Federal Government’s refusal to declare bandits as terrorists.

The Senate had last week asked the federal government to declare bandits wreaking havoc in many parts of the North-West as terrorists.

The upper legislative chamber also charged the federal government to go after all known leaders of the bandits with a view to prosecuting them.

In the statement, Falana insisted that the bandits are not different from Boko Haram insurgents who are regarded as terrorists.

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was unprepared to declare bandits as terrorists.

He said: “The failure to ascribe these criminals as ‘terrorists’ as evidenced in the kidnappings of the Chibok and the Dapchi schoolgirls led to the proliferation of the scourge.

It is public knowledge that the dangerous criminal elements who kidnapped the Chibok and Dapchi secondary school girls in the North-East Zone in 2014 and 2017 respectively were not referred to as bandits.

They were called terrorists by the Federal Government and the media. The description was correct as the abductions carried out by the criminal elements were acts of terrorism.

“But for reasons best known to the Federal Government the criminal elements who are currently involved in the brutal killing of innocent people and abduction of thousands of people including primary school pupils in the North-West zone are called bandits and not terrorists.

“Embarrassed by the reluctance of the Federal Government to deal decisively with the so-called bandits, the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, in separate sittings, unanimously passed resolutions last weekend requesting President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the dangerous criminal elements as terrorists and proscribe them in accordance with the provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act as amended without any further delay.

The federal lawmakers also asked President Buhari to declare all the known leaders of the bandits wanted and track them wherever they are for arrest and prosecution. So far, the Federal Government has ignored the resolutions.

“However, as the Federal Government is not prepared to declare them as terrorists we call on the media and the Nigerian people to stop referring to terrorists as bandits.”

Lifestyle

Youths accuse Sokoto commissioner of working with bandits, set house ablaze

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Angry youths on Wednesday burnt down the country home of the Sokoto State Commissioner for Security and Career Studies, Col. Garba Moyi (retd), for allegedly working with bandits.

The spokesman of the state police command, Sanusi Abubakar, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Sokoto, said the irate youths burnt down the building located in Isa local government area of the state after they accused him of working with bandits who regularly attack the area.

Abubakar added that the youths also torched a vehicle belonging to the traditional ruler of the community, Sarkin Gobir Alhaji Nasiru Ahmad, whom they also accused of colluding with the bandits.

According to the spokesman, trouble started when the commissioner turned down the youths’ invitation for discussion on incessant attacks in the area.

Abubakar said at least five persons had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Moyi, who also confirmed the attack on his home, blamed his political rivals for the ordeal.

He said: “It is true that youths attacked my house at Isa local government area. They overpowered the security man in the house and set the house ablaze.

“I am yet to visit the area to ascertain the extent of damage to the house; but I can confirm that no life was lost.

“I know this is the handiwork of my political opponents as I have absolutely nothing to do with bandits.

“For now, I cannot say anything further as the investigation is ongoing by the police.”

Politics

Nigerian govt urges media to support security agents in fight against terrorism, banditry

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday, charged the Nigerian media to do more to boost the morale of the security forces in their fight against insurgency and banditry in different parts of the country.

Mohammed, who made the call during an expanded security consultative meeting in Katsina State, asked the media not to relent in their coverage of security agencies’ efforts at tackling crimes in Nigeria.

The meeting was attended by the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari; the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini Usman; the Emir of Daura, Faruq Umar; heads of security agencies in the state and civil society organizations, among others.

The minister also warned the media against concentrating on the failure of the security operatives or the activities of the terrorists as that would dampen the morale of the security agents.

He implored security agencies to inform journalists on successes being achieved in the theatre of operation as that would give the media first-hand information on the activities for a balanced reportage.

Lifestyle

Bandits attack Zamfara communities, set ablaze Assembly speaker’s house

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Armed bandits have set ablaze the home of the Speaker of Zamfara State House of Assembly, Nasiru Muazu Magarya, in Zurmi local government area of the state.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Security and Prosecution of Bandits, Abdullahi Shinkafi, who confirmed the development to journalists on Monday, said several other buildings were also set on fire during attacks on some communities in the area.

He said the bandits resorted to attacks on soft targets after they were forced to flee from their various hideouts by the military.

Shinkafi, who visited the affected local government, assure the victims of the state government’s support at this time.

He said the government would send more security personnel to protect the people.

The chairman also revealed that two suspected suppliers of foodstuffs, petrol, and other commodities to the bandits had been arrested and handed over to the police.

Lifestyle

Angry youths storm Plateau Assembly with bodies of indigenes slain by bandits

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Protesting youths on Wednesday stormed the Plateau state House of Assembly following the killing of persons by bandits in the state.

On Tuesday, armed men attacked Yelwa Zangam community in Jos North Local Government Area of the state.

During the attack, the gunmen were said to have killed over 30 people and injured several others while setting their houses ablaze.

Youths on Wednesday, put the bodies of the slain victims in a truck and took them to the state Assembly and demanded to see the speaker.

The group later marched to the government house.

Politics

Defence HQ blows hot, vows to track down bandits who invaded NDA

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has vowed to track down the bandits who invaded the barracks of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna State in the early hours of Tuesday, where two senior Army officers were killed and one was abducted.

In a statement signed on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, by the Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Benjamin Sawyerr, the CDS said the bandits “who breached the perimeter fence went straight to the officers’ living quarters and started shooting sporadically at the NDA” will have themselves to blame for the daring attack on a military formation.

Gen. Irabor who condoled with the families of the deceased officers, said henceforth, the security of the NDA communities would been beefed up while operations are ongoing in the general area.

He added that all efforts have been intensified by troops and they are currently combing the entire locations in search and rescue mission for the adducted officers.

The statement which was sighted by Ripples Nigeria reads:

“The gallant troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), in joint operations are in hot pursuit of armed bandits that attacked the officers’ quarters of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), in Kaduna early hours of 24 August, 2021.

The bandits who sneaked in after breaching the perimeter fence and went straight to the officer’s living quarters and started shooting sporadically.

“Unfortunately, two brave and gallant officers paid the supreme price while one other officer was abducted by the bandits during the process.

“All efforts have been intensified by troops who are currently combing the entire locations in search and rescue missions for the abducted officers.

“The Commandant, NDA, as well as the HQ 1 Division, with the support of NAF, are presently in a coordinated joint operation to search and rescue the abducted officer and arrest the perpetrators.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) wishes to use this medium to condole with the families of the deceased officers, and thanked troops for their quick response.

“The CDS also wishes to assure the NDA communities of their safety as security has been beefed up while operations are ongoing in the general area. Further details will be released later.”

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