Bandits have resumed their nefarious engagements, abducting a no fewer than ten students of Government Secondary School, Awon, a day secondary school in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State and attacking Niger and Kogi, among other states.
By Emma Ogbuehi
After what appeared a lull in criminal activities in some parts of the country, bandits have resumed their nefarious engagements, abducting a no fewer than ten students of Government Secondary School, Awon, a day secondary school in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State and attacking Niger and Kogi states.
Kaduna Commissioner for Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday, disclosed that the abduction took place on Monday.
The Commissioner said the State Government received preliminary reports from security agencies regarding kidnap of the students.
Aruwan added that the exact location of the incident is yet to be ascertained.
He said detailed reports were being awaited to clarify whether the incident occurred within the school premises or elsewhere.
Apart from Kaduna, there has been a resurgence of violent attacks and kidnap of Nigerians in many parts of the country.
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Same Monday, there were reported attacks in at least four other states, including Niger, Kogi, Adamawa and Bayelsa, killing scores of people and kidnapping no fewer than 34 people, including two police officers. They also carted away arms and ammunition.
On Sunday evening, seven days after killing seven people and abducting 26 persons, bandits invaded Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State. In the attack, they killed two villagers and kidnapped two policemen and no fewer than 32 villagers.
The bandits were said to have gone straight to Ibbi Police station in Mashegu, attacked those on duty and whisked away two of the Policemen.
After sacking the Policemen on duty, they were said to have ransacked the armoury in the station and carted away some arms and ammunition.
Vanguard quoted sources as claiming that no fewer than 32 persons were abducted from different villages in the community. All the abducted villagers were taken into the Ibbi forest.
“This incident happened about 24 hours after an unidentified aircraft hovered around the community and the police station. Some of the areas raided include Ibbi and Mazakuka towns.
‘’Statistics show that 15 of those abducted are from Mazakuka town, while nine are from Ibbi town and all of them, including the policemen abducted, were led into the forest and they are yet to be traced till now,” the source revealed.
Local vigilantes from Mokwa and New Bussa reportedly trailed the bandits into the forest and engaged them in a gun battle which lasted for hours.
Unfortunately, the commander of the vigilante was killed by the bandits and some of the bandits were also reported to have been killed by the vigilante members.
The remains of the commander had been taken to his village and buried.
In Kogi, gunmen on Saturday stormed the Oganenugu community in Dekina LGA and killed scores of villagers.
The gunmen were said to have entered the village in the dead hours of the night and started shooting at everyone in sight.
The ward chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, Mr. James Adah, was among those shot dead.
Reacting to the development, Governor Yahaya Bello called for calm over the attacks on communities in Oganenugu Ward of Dekina LGA by suspected herdsmen.
Describing the attacks as “vile and satanic” the governor said the attacks were “calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Oganenugu who have enjoyed relative peace and security.”
Bello said his administration would continue to phase out crisis entrepreneurs from the state and ensure that those involved shall be brought to book under the laws.
He said the attacks were shocking, and that “government will never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in its resolves to rid the state of criminals.”
He commiserated with the people, particularly the families of James Adah and others affected by the “ugly and unfortunate attacks.”
Governor Yahaya Bello advised the people not to take laws into their hands as security agencies had been deployed to the troubled areas to ensure safety and restore normalcy.
