2 Feared Killed As Bandits Go Crazy, Kidnap 60 In Zamfara, Monarch In Kaduna

Bandits kidnapped 60 people yesterday in Zamfara, Kaduna, Borno, and Yobe states, including a traditional ruler in Kaduna, two soldiers in Maiduguri, and others in Yobe.

In the Zamfara attack, they also killed two of their victims.

According to accounts, the robbers blocked the Sokoto-Gusau route in broad daylight and seized roughly 60 passengers from three buses owned by the Sokoto State Transport Authority (SSTA).

Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, a motorist who narrowly avoided being kidnapped, said the bandits blocked the road near Dogon Karfe at around 3 p.m. and abducted all of the passengers in the three buses.

“They (bandits) suddenly came out of their hiding place and started shooting in the air, thereby forcing the vehicles to stop.

“They abducted all the passengers in the three vehicles belonging to Sokoto State Transport Authority including the drivers.

“Immediately they (bandits) left the place, we all drove our vehicles very fast because we thought that they would come back and pick some of us,” he said.

He urged the authorities to send security agents to the Sokoto-Gusau road, where he claims bandits are abducting people on a daily basis.

“On this road, the bandits have been kidnapping individuals on a daily basis. I’m pleading with the appropriate authorities to take immediate action to stop the situation from worsening.”

Only one bus was seized, according to the state police command spokesperson, SP Mohammed Shehu, and ten people were rescued.

A Sokoto Mass Transit official confirmed that the bandits attacked one of their buses.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the bandits blocked the highway with sophisticated weapons early Sunday morning, kidnapping over sixty people.

The bus driver and one other passenger escaped the attack, but the robbers abducted the remainder of the passengers and drove them into the bush.

Locals also said that the bandits blocked the Wurno-Goronyo road around 5 p.m. on the same day, killing two people and kidnapping others.

The chairman of Wurno Local Government Area, Abubakar Arzika, confirmed the bandit attack on the Wurno-Goronyo road, saying two people, including a lady, were killed.

He was unable to confirm the kidnapping of other passengers on the road, stating that the matter was still being investigated by police.

The state’s police department has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.

Kidnappings for ransom have been widespread in Sokoto and other Nigerian states.

Armed bandits carry out the attacks in order to terrorize locals and generate money.

Apart from kidnappings, the bandits assassinate community inhabitants at will. In neighboring Zamfara State, a group of bandits recently shot down an alpha jet that the military was using to attack the bandits.

Dr. Danladi Gyet Maude, a first-class traditional ruler and paramount ruler of the Jaba people in Southern Kaduna, Kpop Ham, was reportedly abducted in his farm in another attack.

The kidnappers have yet to contact the family, but Hon. Samson Monday Dikko, a lawmaker representing Jaba Constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, confirmed the incident to LEADERSHIP yesterday.

According to him, the monarch, who is over 85 years old, was kidnapped at around 2 p.m. on his farm in Tatara Village, Nasarawa State.

The lawmaker demanded that the state administration and security forces jump into action right away to ensure the monarch’s safe return.

“The paramount chief has always been a peacemaker who is dedicated to serving his people,” he explained, adding that this is why Jaba has never had a conflict.

He advised the people of Jaba, on the other hand, to remain quiet and wait for government action to save their paramount monarch.

When contacted, ASP Muhammed Jalige, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Kaduna State Command, said the command was in contact with their counterparts in Nasarawa State about the situation.

ISWAP Kidnap Yobe Director, Others

In addition, Alhaji Ali Shehu, a director in the Yobe State Liaison Office’s Maiduguri branch, and his close friend, Alhaji Masaha, have been kidnapped by one of two Boko Haram factions operating along the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Our source claims that the militants kidnapped them after blocking a route in Maiduguri’s Jakana village, around 75 kilometers from Yobe State’s capital, Damaturu.

The suspected militants were claimed to have demanded their victims to submit their identity cards during the attack on Sunday about 2:30pm, as if they were hunting for anyone working for security services or other government organizations, according to LEADERSHIP.

The suspected terrorists were claimed to have operated for around two hours and abducted a number of people, including three people who happened to run into them while they were conducting their operation.

Baba Garba, a sibling in the Yobe director’s family, told our correspondent over the phone that his elder brother Ali Shehu was kidnapped together with two other persons on their way back to Maiduguri from Damaturu.

He stated the terrorists relocated the hostages to a neighbouring area after going through their phones and being satisfied with their interrogations.

“I would like to use this medium on behalf of our family to appeal to the Yobe State government and security agencies to rescue our brother and others from suspected Boko Haram captivity,” he said.

“Our brother’s kidnappers are yet to be identified, their whereabouts are unknown at the moment, and no demand has been made by the abductors. I want to thank the security operatives in the area for their efforts to deal with the remaining suspected Boko Haram members from Damaturu-Maiduguri highway,” he said.

According to trustworthy information from Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai, troops have been mobilized daily to the general region with the help of the Air Force, and terrorists have been engaged during attacks.

A reliable source also advised travelers to remain calm and not panic if they see troops, helicopters, vehicles, or equipment moving along the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway, as troops have intensified their onslaught in an attempt to further decimate the remnants of terrorists within the sector’s area of responsibility.

Meanwhile, following the kidnapping of the ransom courier for the release of students from Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina, Niger State, last week, the parents are at a loss as to who to hire as a new courier to match the robbers’ demands.

Following the kidnapping of Kassimu Tegina, who delivered the last ransom to the criminals, LEADERSHIP learned that those who had served as mediators had acquired cold feet.

Kassimu was detained by robbers last week, who claimed a shortfall of N4.6 million from the N30 million handed to them as ransom by Kassimu.

As a result, they have demanded that the N4.6 million be paid and that six Honda motorcycles be purchased for them before they will release the 136 students kidnapped on May 30, 2021, including Kassimu.

According to yesterday’s findings, new negotiations with the bandits were launched in response to the parents’ appeal, but there was a problem finding volunteers to carry out the bandits’ request.

It was discovered that the parents were still frantically trying to raise the money, despite the fact that they had yet to find someone to give it to the robbers.

In light of the situation, it was learned that talks were still ongoing for one of the parents to be the courier, if the robbers agreed.

When contacted by LEADERSHIP, Mallam Alhassan Garba Abubakar, the Head Teacher of the Islamiyya school, stated, “It is obviously so since it will be difficult to attract volunteers after the destiny that befell the last courier.”

While admitting that raising the funds is difficult, he also stated that getting volunteers to deliver ransom today is a huge issue for them, in order to assure the safe release of the Islamiyya students.

Boko Haram Kidnaps 2 Soldiers Along Maiduguri- Damaturu Highway

Two soldiers were reportedly kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, according to sources.

The soldiers were kidnapped on Sunday afternoon, according to LEADERSHIP’s source. Along with other commuters on the way, they were kidnapped.

“We got report that two soldiers were abducted Sunday afternoon along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road. That road has turned into a nightmare to commuters. We urge government to take drastic action to secure lives and properties of citizens who cannot afford air transport out or into Maiduguri, ” said the source.

When contacted, the director, Army public relations, Brig Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said he will get back when he gets a confirmation.

DSS, Police Keep  Mum Over Kidnappers Collecting Ransom Through Banks

The Department of State Services has declined to speak on the allegations that kidnappers now collect ransom money through the banks.

This is even as the Nigeria Police Force also failed to speak on the issue.

A newspaper had yesterday reported that kidnappers now demand to collect ransom through bank payment.

When LEADERSHIP tried to find out why it is difficult to track the kidnappers down even with evidence and details of bank accounts and why it is also difficult, as it appears, to collaborate with ministry of communication, the banks and telecom companies through NIN-SIM data and BVN to arrest these kidnappers who collect money through bank accounts, the DSS spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, did not respond even after reading the message on his WhatsApp.