The spate of insecurity in the Northern part of Nigeria took a dangerous dymenion yesterday as not fewer than 43 persons including two soldiers lost their lives to violent attacks in Zamfara, Kaduna, Taraba and Benue States.
The Nigerian Army yesterday said troops killed 21 armed bandits and recovered weapons in Tunga Daji, Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The army also confirmed in an earlier report that two soldiers were killed during the operation.
In a statement, the Director, Army Public Relations, Texas Chukwu, said troops of 232 Battalion Zuru, while on clearance patrol on Wednesday, encountered the armed bandits and “neutralised 21 of them.”
Mr Chukwu said many bandits also escaped with gunshot wounds. He said two soldiers died during the operation.
Our correspondent reported how two soldiers were killed by the bandits at Tunga Daji in Anka Local Government Area of the state.
“Unfortunately we lost an officer and a soldier during the encounter. The remains of the officer and soldier has been evacuated to Federal Medical Center Gusau,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Chukwu listed recoveries from the bandits to include five AK 47 assault rifles, one light machine gun, five magazines and 35 rounds of 7,62mm special ammunition.
He said the troops have been mobilised on a special operation to “comb the general area and arrest any fleeing bandit.”
Scores of people have been killed in attacks by bandits in Zamfara in the past few months. Last week, over 50 people were killed in such attack in the state.
Meanwhile, a Kaduna community was yesterday afternoon attacked by bandits who killed the village head and five others.
The attack occurred in Sarari village near Kuriga town in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State
The incident which happened around 2 p.m. left about eight people injured.
One of the injured victims, who identified himself as Henry and was shot on the leg, confirmed the death of their village head.
He said the bandits stormed the village, going house to house shooting people.
“I don’t know where they came from we were just sitting down when we started hearing gun shots from all directions.
“They came on motorcycles in large number. They go house to house shooting people. Our village head and five other people were killed. I was shot on the leg while trying to escape,” he told our source in a telephone interview.
Our source learnt that all the dead victims were male adults.
Mr Henry gave the names of the dead as Sule Sarari, the 60 years old village head, ‘Lado, Yunusa, Jonah, Tela and one other person.’
The victims were rushed to a Primary Health Centre in Oduwa town, few kilometres from where the incident occurred.
The nurse in charge of the PHC where the victims are receiving treatment, Silas Ayuba, confirmed to newsmen that six bodies were brought to the clinic.
“Yes we have six bodies right now at the clinic; all males. Eight people were injured and we are doing our best to stabilise their condition,” he said in a telephone interview.
The Kaduna State Government spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, did not answer his call when contacted on the attack. Same with Kaduna Police Command Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Muktar.
This latest incident comes few days after the Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazzau, led a federal government delegation to the area over the incessant killings there.
Also, two young men have allegedly been killed by unknown gunmen in the early hours of yesterday in Asso community of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Member representing Jema/Sanga Federal Constituency, Nicholas Shehu Garba, confirmed the incident to newsmen, saying, “The victims were returning to their village after taking a sick relation to the hospital in Kafanchan.”
According to him, “This will be the third time that an attack will be carried out from the uncompleted Asso bridge.
“This unfortunate incident is coming less than a week after the killings in Bakin Kogi in Kaninkon Chiefdom where six persons were brutally murdered by unknown gunmen.
“That these attacks are being perpetrated in the absence of any provocation and despite the presence of security personnel within the vicinity, is an affirmation that a silent war has been declared on our communities by agents of darkness.
“I am calling on the Kaduna State Government to show more than passive interest in these attacks.
“I am also appealing to the Military Task Force based in Kafanchan to work harder to fish out these agents of darkness.
“Until the state is able to fish out, expose and punish the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, for so long will these criminals continue on their path of perfidy.
“To our communities, one cannot over emphasise the necessity for eternal vigilance.
“My condolences to the bereaved families, and my dear community, Asso that has become the latest victim of yet, another attack,” he added.
In another development, suspected herdsmen, last Wednesday, killed four members of a family in Mbiya village, Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The gunmen, according to a statement by the state government, stormed the village in the early hours of last Wednesday.
The head of the family, Sunday Sabo, his wife and two children were killed during the attack.
Special Assistant to the Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku on Media and Publicity, Bala Dan Abu, in the statement said the suspected herdsmen were armed dangerous weapon, including AK-47.
“The family was asleep at the time the attackers stormed the community.’
Sources said they were more than 20, all of them armed with guns and cutlasses.
The herds later headed for Bassa village where they also set houses ablaze,” the statement read in part.
This attack is the latest in the wave of attack on innocent people in the state by suspected herdsmen.
Taraba State is among the states where Operation Cat Race by the Nigerian Army is currently going on.
The operation, according to the military, was aimed at disarming bandits in order to secure lives and properties.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 10 persons were allegedly killed by Fulani herdsmen in Mbakyondo, Mbakpa and Sengaev communities in the Agagbe district of Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.
Sources from the area told newsmen that the invading herdsmen stormed the communities at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday and started shooting sporadically in all directions.
Many villagers are said to have been killed in their sleep, with several others injured in the attack, as several houses were razed by the invading herdsmen.
Our correspondent gathered that the invasion may not be unconnected with the alleged clash between some youths in Mbakpa community and some Fulani herdsmen in the area early in the week.
Our correspondent gathered that during the clash between the youths and the herdsmen, one Fulani herder was missing, the development leading to a mass exodus of locals from the community for fear of reprisals.
Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday, Commissioner of Police in the state, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the clash between the youths and the herdsmen in Mbakpa Community, said the State Police Command was already in talks with the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and the body of herders on the matter.
“Gwer West Local Government in Mbakpa community woke up to a report that the youths in that community led an attack on some herdsmen in that area. There is now an exodus of members of that community into Naka town for fear of a reprisal attack,” Owoseni stated.
“We are still talking with leaders of herdsmen in that area to ascertain the level of casualty. We heard that one of the herdsmen is missing and we immediately got in touch with leadership of MACBAN and the body of herders in order to douse and prevent an escalation of anything that could come as reprisal.”
The Police Commissioner, warning that his Command would not tolerate any form of reprisal, urged the general public to report any form of security threat in their areas to security agencies rather than taking laws into their hands.
However, efforts by our correspondent to get the Commissioner to confirm the Wednesday attacks failed, as text message sent to his phone was yet to be responded to at the time of filing this report.