Just in: Gunmen abduct 22 farmers in Abuja, set tractors ablaze – Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

Just in: Gunmen abduct 22 farmers in Abuja, set tractors ablaze

Published

on

Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have attacked a community in Abuja, abducting 22 farmers and setting fire on two of their tractors.

The incidents happened at Rafin-Daji community, Gurdi ward of Abaji Area Council of Abuja, according to a Daily Trust report.

Rafin-Daji shares boundary with Zago community in Niger State. Both communities are connected through River Gurara.

Saidu Yakubu, a farmer, who escaped, said the incident happened around 2pm on Thursday.

He said the attackers wielding AK -47 rifles attacked farmers that were cultivating their land in the community.

He said the bandits shot sporadically into the air before whisking away the farmers and burning down two tractors on a large farm land in the community.

According to him, 13 family members were among the 22 abducted victims.

He gave the names of the family members as Ismaila Barde, Mustapha Barde, Nasiru Barde, Abdulkarim Barde, Sanusi Barde, Usman, Barde, Nura Barde, Abdullahi Barde, Babawo Barde, Farida Ayuba, Hauwa Ayuba and Hussaini Abdullahi.

He said the 13 family members, including two females, were working on separate farm lands when they bandits swopped on them.

“It was only God that saved me as I managed to escape when the bandits were shooting into the air,” he said.

The district head of Gurdi Chiefdom, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, confirmed the abduction of farmers and burning of tractors to our reporter through telephone on Friday, but said he was yet to ascertain the number of the abducted farmers.

 

The district head said his people were under siege as bandits usually invade his chiefdom through Niger state.

Bala said he had reported the latest kidnap incident to the police and also the authorities of Abaji area council.

Confirming the attacks, a spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, ASP Oduniyi Omotayo, said efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims and bring perpetrators to book.

“Upon receipt of the information, a combined team of police officers from various tactical and intelligence units of the command, hunters, vigilantes, hunters stormed the forest and combed it aggressively,” he said.

He said while monitoring and surveillance of the community was also ongoing.

metro

It’s illegal to declare suspects wanted, Falana tackles DHQ

Published

on

It’s illegal to declare suspects wanted, Falana tackles DHQ

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has faulted the declaration of eight persons wanted by the Defence Headquarters over the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community of Delta State.

He said it was illegal to do so without obtaining a court order.

He stated this in a statement released on Thursday and warned the military against bungling the case of the slain soldiers.

Falana said, “The authorities of the armed forces should be made to realise that the military cannot arrest, detain, investigate and charge civilian suspects with any offence whatsoever.”

“We have also read the eight people alleged to be involved in the cruel murder of the soldiers have been declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters. It is trite law that the police and security agencies lack the power to declare any suspect wanted without a court order,” he stated.

He cited the rulings of judges in a number of cases including Benedit Peters v Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to buttress his point.

Continue Reading

metro

Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened in seven days – Minister

Published

on

Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened in seven days – Minister

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi,
says the Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened in seven days time.
He announced this on Thursday during an inspection of the bridge along with members of the Senate Committee on Works.
“In seven days Nigerians will be able to ply this road,” he said.
Umahi also said the Federal Government planned to install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) on the bridge and under it to reduce illegal sand mining around the area.
Currently, he said the lane marking was being done, adding, “When the lane marking is over, we will open the bridge but formally it will be commissioned by Mr. President when he is going to flag off the coastal road.”

The Federal Government on January 9, this year closed the 11.8km bridge in Lagos for a three-month comprehensive rehabilitation.

Continue Reading

metro

Fresh grid collapse plunges Nigeria into nationwide blackout

Published

on

Fresh grid collapse plunges Nigeria into nationwide blackout

The electricity grid collapsed on Thursday, plunging the country into blackout, the second time in three months in 2024.

Data from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) showed the grid collapsed at about 4pm on Thursday, dropping from 2,984 megawatts (MW) to zero within an hour.

All the 21 plants connected to the grid stopped operations by 5pm.

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), in a statement on Thursday, said the current power outage was due to a system failure from the national grid.

“The system collapsed at about 16:28 hours today 28 March 2024, causing the outage currently being experienced across our franchise area,” AEDC said.

“We appeal for your understanding as all stakeholders are working hard to restore normal supply.”

In a notice to its customers, the management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) said the system collapse resulted in a loss of power supply across its network.

“We are currently working with our partners as we hope for speedy restoration of the grid. We will keep you updated as soon as the power supply is restored. Kindly bear with us,” EKEDC said.

Continue Reading

Trending

Skip to content