Tag: Bandits

Abductors of Emir of Kajuru Demand N200 Million Ransom

A file photo of the Emir of Kajuru

 

A ransom of N200 million ransom has been demanded for the release of the Emir of Kajuru, Alhassan Adamu.

The monarch was kidnapped by bandits in the wee hours of Sunday along with 13 of his family members, including two grandchildren.

News of the ransom demand was disclosed by spokesperson of the Kajuru Emirate Council, Dahiru Abubakar on Monday.

According to Mr Abubakar, the bandits also gave assurances that all the victims are in good condition and were not being molested.

He said the council is still appealing to the bandits to release the 85-year-old monarch and his relatives unconditionally, especially giving his fragile health condition.

 

Meanwhile, one bandit was reportedly killed and some others injured in a shootout with soldiers during the attack on Emir’s palace, according to security sources in the local government.

The sources said the bandits, during the operation, divided themselves into two, with one group engaging the soldiers in a gun battle, while the other group moved into the palace, and later took the Emir and 14 others away into the forest.

Numbering over 200, the bandits arrived at the community on motorcycles in the early hours of Sunday morning through a nearby forest that stretches the Kaduna-Abuja highway in Kachia local government area, and started shooting sporadically, before they were engaged by soldiers that were deployed to the area.

Buhari Demands ‘Crushing Response’ Against Bandits

A file photo of President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday demanded a crushing response against bandits after repeated killings in Zamfara and Kaduna states.

This was made known in a statement signed by presidential spokesman Garba Shehu.

At least 35 persons were killed after bandits attacked five communities in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Thursday.

Bandits have also continued to terrorise Kaduna state, launching several attacks, including the abduction of 121 students of Bethel Baptist Secondary school in Chikun local government area on Monday.

According to Mr Shehu, the President urged the nation’s military to respond to the “worrying situation” in a language that the bandits understand.

“The President notes that the military and other security agencies are now working on new methods and policies that are yielding good results in many of the troubled parts of the country and calls for a crushing response to the killing of innocent citizens in the rural communities,” the statement said.

“He also avers that the nation, its military and the entire population needs to summon the courage required to defeat the bandits and terrorists.

“President Buhari condemns some politicians making utterances on security, merely seeking applause, advising them to join the ongoing genuine efforts aimed at finding lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the nation.

“He expresses the nation’s sorrow over the loss of lives, urging security agencies to do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of attacks with impunity.”

Kaduna Security: Bandits Kidnap Woman And Her Three Children in Zaria

A signpost showing Zaria

 

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a woman and her three kids in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The bandits according to eyewitnesses, stormed the town Milgoma opposite the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) in Shika, Zaria, on Friday.

They broke into the house of the woman through the gate, and thereafter, took the woman and her three children away to an unknown destination.

READ ALSO: Bandits Kill At Least 10 In Kaduna Communities

While the Police authorities are yet to confirm the incident, locals said the bandits came through a village called ‘Nasarawan Buhari’ and later went away with the four victims through another village called ‘Biye’.

The woman’s husband, who is a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsima in Katsina State was not around when the incident occurred, but a resident of the community told Channels Television that some members of a local vigilante were able to repel the bandits from taking away more people.

Bandits Kill 35 In Attack On Five Zamfara Communities

Residents of the affected communities gathering after the attack by bandits on Monday morning

 

Bandits have killed 35 persons after an assault on five communities of Faru district located in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Gudan-Baushi, Gidan-Adamu,Gudan-Maidawa, Tsauni, and Wari communities woke up to the marauders’ invasion in the late hours of Thursday morning on motorcycles numbering over 100.

The state Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Shehu confirmed the incident to Channels Television. He however stated that efforts to reach the affected communities on time proved abortive due to the poor road network.

 

 

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically at the unsuspecting residents while destroying houses and properties.

“The police personnel tried their best to reach the affected communities on receiving the information that the bandits were there but unfortunately they could not reach the places because of the bad roads,” he said.

He insisted the “police are currently working tirelessly” to bring the bandits to justice.

A file photo of the corpses after the attack on Zamfara by bandits on Thursday morning

 

Banditry and kidnap have become commonplace in Zamfara with the abduction of 317 female students from a government school in early February being amongst one of the growing cases of the menace.

Angry youths armed with weapons staged a violent protest along the Gusau – Kaura Namoda Highway decrying the state of insecurity. and attacks that the people of the area have suffered at the hands of the bandits.

Addressing a press conference on April 2, the Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Dosara, revealed that no fewer than 2,619 people were killed in the state between 2011 and 2019.

He added that bandits abducted 1,190 people from various parts of Zamfara in the last eight years, and over 100,000 people were displaced from their ancestral homes as a result of bandits’ activities, while 14,378 livestock were rustled within the period.

 

Dosara noted that the Zamfara State government has spent the sum of N970 million on payment of ransom to bandits to secure the release of kidnapped victims since 2011.

He lamented that there were more than 100 different camps and over 30,000 bandits operating across Zamfara and beyond, but the state governments would continue with its amnesty programme for bandits as part of measures to secure its people.

Six Reportedly Killed As Bandits Attack Another Zamfara Community

A map of Zamfara in north-west Nigeria.

 

No fewer than six persons have been reportedly killed by suspected armed bandits in Gora Namaye community under Maradun Local Government area of Zamfara State.

A source told Channels Television that the bandits invaded the community between 3:00 and 4:00 pm on Friday and started shooting sporadically, killing six persons, injuring several others and setting a vehicle ablaze.

Efforts to reach the police at the time of filing this report were not successful.

Read Also: Bandits Kill 35 In Attack On Five Zamfara Communities

This comes barely 24 hours after some communities under Maradun Local government were attacked by armed bandits on resulting in the killing of over 35 persons.

Maradun Local Government is the home town of the state Governor, Bello Matawalle.

Bandits Kill At Least 10 In Kaduna Communities

 

At least nine people have been killed at Warkan village in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna State following an attack on the community by bandits on Friday.

The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said one person was also killed in a similar attack at Kakkau area of Chikun local government area.

Security agencies equally reported that some other persons lost their lives after another set of bandits attacked Kibori, Katsit and Afana all in Zangon Kataf local government area, and Amana Kasuwa of Igabi local government within the week.

Read Also: Kaduna Abduction: School Management Confirms 125 Students In Custody Of Bandits

Aruwan also disclosed that five youths from Kafanchan town of Jema’a local government area are missing with their whereabouts unknown.

Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has condemned the latest killings and disappearances of citizens.

He condoled with families who have lost their loved ones and wished those who sustained injuries speedy recovery.

Governor El-rufai has also directed the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to urgently assess damages at Warkan village and provide relief materials to the affected residents, while also appealing to the affected families to remain calm, saying security agencies are investigating the incidents.

Bandits Attack Zamfara Communities, Kill Many

A file photo of the corpses after the attack on Zamfara by bandits on Thursday morning

 

Bandits have attacked five communities of Faru district in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State killing many on Thursday morning.

The communities affected include Gudan-Baushi, Gidan-Adamu,Gudan-Maidawa, Tsauni, and Wari .

The spokesperson of the state Police Command, Mohammed Shehu, was quoted by the Punch Newspapers as putting the death toll at 35 persons.

According to him, his men failed to reach the affected communities on time when they were informed of the invasion due to the poor road network.

Mr. Shehu also maintained that the “police are currently working tirelessly” to bring the assailants to justice.

However, a source from the area, claimed the marauders, stormed the communities around 11 am on Thursday morning on motorcycles leaving over forty dead in a trail of destruction in their wake.

 

Residents of the affected communities gathering after the attack by bandits on Monday morning

 

“So far, 42 dead bodies have been recovered by the security and volunteer groups in the area.”

“They were shooting sporadically at people they came across in the five communities. They also attacked farmers who were in their farmlands cultivating their crops,” he said.

The corpses were taken to Faru town where they were buried.

Banditry and kidnap have become commonplace in Zamfara with the abduction of 317 female students from a government school in early February being amongst one of the growing cases of the menace.

Angry youths armed with weapons staged a violent protest along the Gusau – Kaura Namoda Highway decrying the state of insecurity. and attacks that the people of the area have suffered at the hands of the bandits.

Addressing a press conference on April 2, the Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Dosara, revealed that no fewer than 2,619 people were killed in the state between 2011 and 2019.

He added that bandits abducted 1,190 people from various parts of Zamfara in the last eight years, and over 100,000 people were displaced from their ancestral homes as a result of bandits’ activities, while 14,378 livestock were rustled within the period.

Dosara noted that the Zamfara State government has spent the sum of N970 million on payment of ransom to bandits to secure the release of kidnapped victims since 2011.

He lamented that there were more than 100 different camps and over 30,000 bandits operating across Zamfara and beyond, but the state governments would continue with its amnesty programme for bandits as part of measures to secure its people.

 

 

 

 

Kaduna Abduction: School Management Confirms 125 Students In Custody Of Bandits

A map showing Kaduna, a state in Nigeria's North-Central region.
Armed bandits had stormed the Bethel Baptist School in Maraban Rido, Kaduna State, in the early hours of Monday, overcoming the security guards and abducting the students.

 

The management of the Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna State has confirmed that a total of 125 students were taken away by the bandits who attacked the school on Monday.

The Proprietor of the school, who is also the President of Kaduna Baptist Conference, Reverend Ishaya Jangado, made the confirmation in a statement on Tuesday after a meeting with parents of the abducted students to discuss ways to rescue the students.

Jangado said that the total number of students in the school hostel was 154, out of which 28 were recovered, while 125 of them are still in the custody of the bandits.

The proprietor also disclosed that the bandits have established contact with the school management and has also assured them that all the students are doing fine in their custody.

At Least 19 Famers Killed As Bandits Attack Katsina Community

Katsina, usually referred to as Katsina State to distinguish it from the city of Katsina, is a state in North West zone of Nigeria.
Katsina, usually referred to as Katsina State to distinguish it from the city of Katsina, is a state in North West zone of Nigeria.

 

At least 19 persons, mostly farmers, have been reportedly killed after bandits attacked Tsauwa Village in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Although the police are yet to confirm the incident, an eyewitness told Channels Television in a phone conversation on Tuesday that the hoodlums invaded the village late Monday night.

According to the eyewitness, the bandits who stormed the village on motorbikes and armed with sophisticated weapons started shooting sporadically even as they set the entire village ablaze.

A similar incident had occurred in the same villages on February 2, 2020, claiming the lives of 30 people, mostly women and children.

Batsari remains one of the danger zones of the state with its increasing reputation for banditry.

Despite a peace deal initiative of the current government, activities of Kidnapping for ransom and banditry have persisted.

Kaduna Security: Troops Avert Bandits Attack In Zangon Kataf

Troops of the Defence Headquarters Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) stationed in the Southern part of Kaduna state have averted an attack by armed bandits that would have led to a loss of lives at Gidan Zaki, in Zangon Kataf local government area of the state.

According to a statement by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, the armed bandits invaded farmlands in the village and destroyed crops with cutlasses.

The bandits went on to vandalize the home of one Mr. Joseph Aboi, a resident of the village, and also damaged a nearby vehicle, before storming a phone charging shop belonging to another resident and carted away phones and chargers.

READ ALSO: Be Decisive And Alert In Countering Insurgency, COAS Tells Troops

Aruwan said that the swift response of the troops repelled the attack early, as the bandits retreated from the area in disarray.

However, one female resident of the village was injured by a bullet during the sporadic shooting by the bandits and was evacuated to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

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Bandits Kidnap Local Govt Vice Chairman In Kaduna

A map showing Kaduna, a state in Nigeria's North-Central region.

 

Bandits have abducted the Vice Chairman of Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr James Bijimi and an unspecified number of travellers along the Kaduna-Kachia road.

The incident comes two days after bandits killed a driver and kidnapped 33 other people in the Kachia metropolis.

The Kaduna State Police command through its Spokesman, Mohammed Jalige confirmed the incident but did not give the number of those that were abducted.

He said security operatives recovered three vehicles apparently belonging to the abductees, while one person was injured.

However, a community leader in the area who did not want his name mentioned, told Channels Television that the bandits mounted a roadblock around Gonan Roger and Makyali axis in Kajuru Local Government at about 10:00 am on Friday morning, where they intercepted some vehicles and took away some people including the Vice-Chairman of Jaba Local Government Area.

He said security operatives responded swiftly to the area and engaged the bandits in a gun battle.

Meanwhile, during the encounter, the troops were able to rescue six abducted women.

A top official of the local government also told Channels Television that the bandits have established contact with the family of the abducted Vice Chairman, and are demanding a ransom of N100 million before his release.

Kaduna Security: Bandits Kill Driver, Kidnap 33 People In Kachia

 

At least one person has been killed and 33 others abducted following an attack by bandits suspected to be kidnappers in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The incident which occurred last night within Kachia metropolis also left several people injured.

District Head of Kachia ward, Idris Suleiman confirmed the incident when security operatives led by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan visited the area.

READ ALSO: Police Arraign Railway Vandals In Nasarawa

Suleiman said the bandits in their large numbers invaded the community at about 9pm on Wednesday night and started shooting sporadically in a bid to create panic among the residents.

He explained that the bandits first attacked a bakery where they kidnaped five persons and killed the driver to the owner of the bakery, before moving to another area called Mother Cat where they also kidnapped 28 persons including a pregnant woman.

According to him, the bandits also looted several shops within the town after the traders abandoned their shops and scampered for safety to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Bandits have in recent times left Kaduna in a state of unrest, with many being killed and many others being kidnapped, including students of various institutions.

The latest attack in Kachia comes a few days after the village head of Dogon Daji community in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mallam Anja, was shot dead by bandits.

The marauders raided the residence of the village head and shot him at close range, after which he died on the spot.