metro
After killing Emir, bandits abduct 150 people in Sokoto community
After killing Emir, bandits abduct 150 people in Sokoto community
Bandits have abducted over 150 persons and rustled over 1,000 cattle in some villages in Gobir Emirate of Sokoto State, Daily Trust can report.
The incident happened few days after the death in kidnappers’ den, of the Emir of Gobir, Alhaji Isa Muhammad Bawa, who was also the District Head of Gatawa.
The monarch was, on July 29, kidnapped alongside his son and six others on the Sokoto-Sabon Birni Road.
In a viral video, the deceased, whose hands and legs were tied, was seen appealing to the Sokoto State government, the Sultanate Council, his relatives and friends to help pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
The district head had said that the bandits set a deadline for the payment of the ransom, failure of which they would kill him.
Hundreds of youths in the area ultimately staged protests after the killing of the district head, forcing the state government to impose a curfew on Sabon Birni.
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Confirming the latest abductions, Professor Bello Bada of the Department of English, Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, said it was unfortunate that bandits had returned to their dastardly operations in the area just a few days after the death of the district head.
He said: “The most painful thing about it is that some important people in the area could access the telephone numbers of the bandits and could even have conversations with them. Why? It means the bandits are known.
“People in the area go for negotiation with bandits; it means they know where they are. Why do bandits go to markets freely and sell their cows in the area ?
“Why is it that in the area about 1,000 cows were carted away by bandits? Do the cows have wings to fly? What about our intelligence? How did the bandits pass through villages and towns without being noticed?
“They are taking the rustled cattle into the bush while at the same time, residents of some communities within the district are inside the same bush mining for gold. No, something is wrong. We should tell ourselves the truth. We have to sit down and address this problem for the future of our children”, the professor said.
A member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly representing Sabon Birni (North), Aminu Boza, said a total of 151 people were abducted between Tsamaye and Sabon Birni.
“A day after the death of Sarkin Gobir, the bandits attacked Tsamaye village again, killing some people and abducting unspecified others.
They also attacked Yanfaruna village and abducted 22 people and they went to the next village and abducted 11 people.
“So, a total of 192 people have been abducted and they are still in captivity.
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“Besides the abduction of people, we have lost over 20,000 hectares of land to the bandits. They stopped our people from cultivating the land for several years now. Over 92 per cent of our wealth has been wasted by these bandits,” he said.
Boza alleged that there were no security personnel in most of the banditry-prone areas in Sabon Birni, which include Kwanar Maharba, Turtsawa, Unguwar Lalle, Tagirke and Kwanar Tambazawa.
He said: “Kwanar Maharba is the most dangerous spot among all the spots I have mentioned. Banditry operation is taking place in this particular spot almost daily. Some of our people had to change their route through Niger Republic whenever they are going to Sokoto because it is safer. We don’t have a single security checkpoint along that road.
“The locations of most of the bandits’ leaders are known. Bello Turji, for instance, is residing in Fakai and from Fakai to Shinkafi is a distance of less than three kilometers. Halilu is residing in Tsububu village and Jummo Baki in Gangara village.
“Three days ago, I met the Sokoto State deputy governor and together we are making efforts for the deployment of an additional 1,200 soldiers to Sokoto State and Sabon Birni will get additional security personnel in the next one week”, the lawmaker said.
He said the deployment of military personnel to the areas would reduce banditry significantly.
The lawmaker appealed to the federal government to listen to the plight of the residents of Sabon Birni.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Sokoto State Command, SP Ahmad Rufa’i, said police had not received a report on such abductions, but promised to find out from Sabon Birni Divisional Office.
After killing Emir, bandits abduct 150 people in Sokoto community
metro
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
In a tragic turn of events, kidnappers who abducted a hotel owner, his manager, and a guest in Gauraka community, Tafa Local Government Area, Niger State, have executed their captives despite receiving a ransom of N25 million.
The incident, which occurred early on August 17, 2024, has also claimed the lives of two local vigilantes, Abubakar Muhammad and Ibrahim Garba, who were killed while delivering the ransom.
According to reports from City & Crime, the bodies of the victims were found in the Dogon-Daji Forest, a border area between Kaduna, Niger State, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). They were subsequently transported to an air force base near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Hussaini Abubakar, the commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) in Tafa, confirmed that the remains of the vigilantes were buried on Saturday following military clearance.
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Additionally, a man previously abducted from the community about a month ago was rescued with gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment at an army medical facility in Abuja.
The abduction began around 1 am when the kidnappers raided the hotel, forcibly taking all the lodgers. Witnesses reported that the bandits fired shots while leaving, drawing attention to the crime. Despite the presence of a security hunter nearby, the individual fled upon seeing the attackers.
Community residents have expressed growing frustration over the escalating attacks, noting that the bandits frequently operate in nearby forests and along major roads, including the Ijah-Koro and Ijah-Gwari roads leading to Bwari town in the FCT.
Gauraka has experienced at least five kidnapping incidents in the past four months, underscoring the urgent need for increased security measures in the area.
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
metro
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested five Chinese nationals suspected of illegal mining activities in Ndito-Eka-Iba village, located in Ibieno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
The EFCC announced the arrests on Sunday, stating that its Special Task Force on Illegal Mining, operating in Uyo, carried out the operation based on credible intelligence regarding illicit mining activities conducted by foreign companies in Eket and Ibieno LGAs.
This development underscores the ongoing efforts of the EFCC to clamp down on illegal mining and protect Nigeria’s natural resources from exploitation by foreign entities.
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- Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
The agency’s vigilance in addressing illegal operations continues to support the country’s broader fight against environmental degradation and economic sabotage.
“The five arrested Chinese suspects are Zhon Qinping, apprehended on 10 September, and Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zeng, arrested on 29 August.
“They were arrested at an illegal mining site, where a mineral suspected to be ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral, was being extracted.
“The suspects will face charges in court once investigations are concluded,” EFCC said.
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
(NAN)
metro
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
The Katsina Community Watch Corps (CWC) has apprehended Umar Shehu on allegations of supplying illegal injections and drugs to bandits involved in kidnappings in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The arrest was reported by Bakatsine, a security expert and Conflict and Crisis Journalist in the Northwest region, via a post on X.
Accompanying the post was a video showing a significant quantity of syringes and Umar Shehu’s confession to his involvement in the illegal activities.
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“GOOD NEWS: The Katsina Community Watch Corp (CWC) in Ɗandume Local Government Area has successfully apprehended a man named Umar Shehu, who was involved in trafficking illegal injections and drugs to supply to bandits engaged in kidnappings in Sabuwa LGA all in Katsina State,” the post reads.
“The security team gathered crucial information from Umar and others, but only Umar’s information appeared in the video while others were not recorded for security reasons, according to an insider.”
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
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