Gunmen abduct 75; kill 18 in Katsina, Niger

On Thursday, January 28, kidnappers and gunmen have sustained attacks in different parts of the country abducting 75 persons and killing 18 others.

In Niger State, no fewer than 50 persons were abducted in the early hours of Thursday when bandits attacked Bassa community in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

Nine people were killed very early on Thursday during an attack by bandits on Sarki Sheme village in the Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

In Taraba State, at least, 25 youths, who were coming from a wedding, were abducted along Wukari-Takum road.

Bandits also struck in three local government areas of Kaduna State, where they killed four persons, including two brothers.

In Delta State, gunmen killed five persons in the Warri South Local Government Area.

Recall that the President Muhammadu Buhari, at a meeting with the newly appointed service chiefs, said the country was in an emergency.

He also admitted his regime was finding it difficult to keep the promise it made in 2015 that it would secure the country.

Few hours after the President spoke, bandits abducted no fewer than 50 people on Thursday during an attack on Bassa community in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

It was learnt that the incident happened when bandits, in their large numbers, stormed the community in several motorcycles.

The people were said to be getting set for the day’s work when the gunmen struck, forcing some of the residents to run into the bush for safety.

The Co-convener Concerned Shiroro Youths, Abubakar Kokki, confirmed the attack describing the bandits as terrorists and lamented that the attack was worrisome.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abiodun Wasiu, said he would get back to The PUNCH when he must have been briefed about details of the incident.

In Kaduna State, bandits invaded communities in three local government areas, killing four persons, including two brothers.

The local government areas are Igabi, Chikun and Kujuru.

The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attacks on Thursday.

Aruwan said the bandits in large numbers first invaded Nasarawa Kalgo, a community on the outskirts of Jaji under Rigachikun district in Igabi LG and killed a resident, one Harrison Ibrahim.

He added that some bandits attacked Kujama in the Chikun LGA but were repelled by local vigilantes, saying that while they (bandits) retreated, the same bandits attacked Janwuriya village in the Kajuru LG, where they killed two brothers.

He gave the identities of the brothers killed as Nuhu Ishaya and Yakubu Ishaya.

The commissioner disclosed that the bandits also invaded Maraban Kajuru in the same Kajuru LG and killed another resident, Samiru Na Ya’u.

However, in Taraba State, at least, 25 youths were kidnapped along Wukari-Takum road.

The incident, according to sources, happened on Wednesday night when the youth were on their way back to Takum from Wukari, where they attended a wedding.

A source in Wukari told one of our correspondents on the telephone that the youth ran into a roadblock mounted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers between Amadu and Chanchanji.

The gunmen were said to have taken them into the bush.

The Taraba State Police Command’s spokesman, David Misal, confirmed the incident and said the command had yet to establish exactly what happened.

The situation was worse in Katsina State as nine persons reportedly died on Wednesday night when suspected bandits attacked Sarki Sheme village in the Faskari Local Government Area of the state.

Residents revealed that the suspected bandits had stormed Sarki Sheme village where they reportedly killed their victims and rustled some domestic animals.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers invaded the community about 11pm on Wednesday, adding that out of the nine persons killed, eight were adults while one was a young boy.

The Spokesman for the Katsina Police Command, Gambo Isah, said the command should be given time to confirm the incident.

Also, there was tension at Ubeji and Egbokodo communities in the  Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday over the killing of five persons by rival cult groups.

Although the incident occurred between Monday and Wednesday, when gunmen suspected to be members of rival cult groups shot five persons dead, fear still gripped residents on Thursday.

It was gathered that on Monday somebody was killed in Merogun. On Wednesday evening, one person was shot at Ekurede Itsekiri community. At 9 pm on Wednesday, gunmen also shot three persons dead at the boundary between Ubeji and Egbokodo communities.

Consequently, commercial activities were paralysed in the communities as residents were shocked over the killings.

In his reaction, the immediate past chairman of the Warri South Local Government Area, Dr Michael Tidi, condemned the “senseless cult killings going on in the council area.”

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