Tag: Banditry

Insecurity: Katsina lifts ban on motorcycle use at night

Aminu Imam

The Katsina State government has temporarily lifted the ban on the use of motorcycles at night. Recall that the State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, banned the use of motorcycles at night early this year over the security challenges in the State. The ban was lifted during the Ramadan period, to enable the Islamic faithful to observe the period without hindrance and re-imposed it after the Eid-el-Fitr celebration. The Director-General of New Media to the Governor, Al-Amin Isah, confirmed the development in a statement yesterday, in Katsina. He said: “In the…

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Escalating Banditry: Zamfara Govt. announces total ‘lockdown’ in 3 LGAs

Aminu Imam

The Zamfara State government, yesterday announced a total lockdown in Anka, Bukkuyum and Gummi Local Government Areas (LGAs), following the resurgence of bandit attacks on communities. This is contained in an issued statement by the Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, in Gusau, the State capital. ”The Government announces a lockdown in nine major towns, Yarkofoji, Birnin-Tudu, Rini, Gora Namaye, Janbako, Faru, Kaya, Boko and Mada, in order to stop the spate of the attacks on such communities in the affected areas. ”Government also announces the closing down of markets in…

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Insecurity: Bandits in Kaduna now collect ‘mudu’ of grains as ransom for kidnapped victims

Aminu Imam

Terrorists operating at Birnin-Gwari local government area of Kaduna State are now collecting ‘mudu’ of grains as ransom before releasing their kidnapped victims. Mudu is a unit measurement used in the northern part of the country. It is equivalent to 1.3 kilogrammes of rice. According to reports, the terrorists released six hostages they kidnapped last Saturday at Farm Centre after collecting 20 ‘mudu’ of rice, 20 ‘mudu’ of beans, 25 litres of red oil, 25 litres of groundnut oil and recharge cards of N10,000 as ransom. In a related development,…

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Insecurity: Kaduna bandits demand N50m within 48hrs; vow to kill mother, baby, 2 sisters, unless…

Aminu Imam

The family of a pregnant housewife who gave birth in captivity, the new baby and her 2 sisters in Kaduna, have been given a 48hrs ultimatum to pay N50 million ransom by bandits or receive the corpses. The family, therefore, begged the Government and good Nigerians to help them to secure the release of their loved ones, saying that so far, they were able to raise N6.5 million. The family, who spoke to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday, said that although they offered the bandits the said N6.5 million, “it was…

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Bandits attack Kaduna APC Guber candidate’s entourage; kidnap two party chieftains, injure 3

Aminu Imam

Bandits have attacked the entourage of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State and abducted two chieftains of the party. It was gathered that the recent attack took place on Thursday night, at Tashar-Iche village, along the busy Kaduna-Kachia road, when party leaders and chieftains accompanied the APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Uba Sani, to Kafanchan, in Kajuru LGA for a political engagement. According to a party stalwart, they were returning from Kafanchan, after interfacing with Christian leaders in the Southern senatorial district ahead of the 2023 general elections.…

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War Against Terrorists: Military to bombard bandits

Aminu Imam

…Asks residents in forested areas of North-West zone to relocate The Nigerian military authorities have advised residents of forested areas in three North-Western States to relocate, ahead of a planned bombardment campaign against bandits and terrorists in the areas. The military, which gave the advice through broadcast advertisements aired in Pidgin English, Hausa, Kanuri and Fulani, on radio and television stations in Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna States, said the exercise is to ensure that the residents are not affected by the bombardment. The advertisements, which promised to “protect the life…

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Kaduna: Bandits kidnap 40 worshippers, demand N200m ransom – SOKAPU 

Aminu Imam

The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, (SOKAPU), has alleged that over 40 people, including members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement, in Bayan-Kasuwa Quarters, of Kasuwan-Magani, Kajuru local government area of Kaduna State, have been abducted by terrorists. The union, in a statement by its National President, Dr. Awemi Maisamari, issued to newsmen in Kaduna, yesterday, said the bandits had reached out to families and were demanding N200m before the abductees could regain their freedom. According to SOKAPU, the incidents took place on September 12 and 13, at Kasuwan-Magani area…

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Insecurity: Bandits abduct 2 pregnant women, 13 others in Katsina communities 

Aminu Imam

Bandits have invaded a low-cost project quarters situated at Dutsen-Reme, Bakori LGA of Katsina State, and abducted four people. The development, according to the locals, happened at about 10:00 pm on Friday night while it was raining. According to a resident of Dutsen-Reme Low-cost Housing estate, Ahmed Ridwan, the assailants took advantage of the rainfall and executed their mission unchallenged. “We were informed, through phone calls by villagers around Maska, that bandits in large numbers were likely heading to our quarters and we immediately informed the police and military personnel.…

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Insecurity: “Bandits are becoming more sophisticated, daring

Aminu Imam

The Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has lamented that the bandits terrorising the state are becoming more sophisticated and daring, especially in frontline local government areas of the State. Masari spoke on Tuesday, while handing over nine locally-fabricated Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) purchased by his government to security agencies to ward-off the criminals in the State. He noted that with the purchase of the armoured vehicles, the government and security operatives are more armed and equal to the task of flushing out the bandits who are becoming more “sophisticated…

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Nigerians kick against granting amnesty to bandits, terrorists

Aminu Imam

Some Nigerians have expressed concern over the continued grant of amnesty by the Federal Government to some bandits and terrorists, saying the policy rather worsens the country’s insecurity. The people, in a recent survey in the South-South region, expressed the opinion that pardoning bandits/terrorists questions the nation’s sincerity in fighting the heinous crimes. According to them, bandits were involved in kidnapping, maiming and killing innocent citizens, and should be prosecuted and punished after arrest, and not pardoned. They said pardoning the perpetrators would continue to encourage the committing of evils…

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