Security
Lawmaker Wants FG To Declare Terrorists in Kebbi Wanted “Dead or Alive”
A federal lawmaker,Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, APC, representing Kebbi South Wants FG To Declare Terrorists in Kebbi Wanted “Dead or Alive” has called on the Federal Government to take decisive action against terrorists in Kebbi State and its neighbouring states by declaring their leaders wanted “dead or alive”.
Addressing journalists shortly after presenting a disturbing motion on the state of insecurity and the activities of bandits in Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger States, Ibn Na’Allah said such decisive action against terrorists has become necessary in addition to current military actions in the areas to restore normalcy.
In his lead debate, the Kebbi State born Senator drew attention to the rising spate of insecurity in Danko/ Wasagu and Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
” It is apt to state that security agencies need to intensify efforts to secure the lives and properties of the good people of the LGA, to enable them go about their legitimate business”.
He went further to narrate how terrorists have managed to move in droves from village to village , house to house in search of cattle to rustle and people to abduct.
“In some cases, the houses and foodstuffs of the residents are entirely burnt, rendering them homeless and without food to survive”.
He said in the last five days dozens of people have been maimed and killed with women both old and young raped and dehumanized.
Ibn Na’Allah expressed shock that the terrorists now conduct their criminal operations in daytime most times with two or more on motorcycles all fully armed and shooting sporadically.
According to him, the terrorists have laid siege on Yar-kuka, Morai, Dankade, to Wadako and even more recently in Bena where 20 people were abducted and Azyu where most of the residents were forced to flee, all under Wasagu chiefdom of Wasaga/Danko LGA Of kebbi State .
His motion generated a number of contributions on the floor.
While some lawmakers like Senator, Uche Ekwenife(PDP) Anambra Central, asked the Senate to have a rethink about its current stance on State police, others attributed the problem of insecurity to the growing army of out- of -school children, practice of early marriages and abject poverty in the North especially and called on the Federal Government to apply policies to curb the trends.
But in his interview with journalists, Ibn Na’Allah said what attracts the bandits who have now been declared terrorists by the Federal Government to the affected areas is cattle rustling against speculations that it was as a result of the growing illegal gold mining especially in Zamfara State.
“Further worried that most recently, in particular on the 19h February 2022, the bandits in large numbers passed through Waje, Sabon-layi, Zuttu and Kangon Wasagu, where they killed many people and herds of cattles rustled. This incidence has increased the number of IDPs in Waje, Ribah, Kanya and Wasagu all in Wasagu/Danko LGA. Thus major humanitarian crisis has been created in the zone”.
Ibn Na’Allah asked the Federal Government to invoke Section 17 subsection (3) to provide funds to cater for the needs of hundreds of people currently displaced and in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
At the end of an exhausting deliberation, the Senate reached a resolution calling on President Mohammadu Buhari to deploys more operations in the zone and urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to as a matter of urgency provide relief materials to the affected areas.
No fewer than 26 people lost their lives, with three others sustaining injuries, following an improvised explosive device (IED) detonation along the Rann–Kala Balge–Gamboru Ngala highway in Borno.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, several civilian vehicles travelling from Rann in Kala Balge LGA ran into a series of hidden explosives.
Makama said the incident occurred on Monday after the convoy veered into a zone where the IEDs had been strategically placed.
The publication said the IEDs were triggered by the movement of vehicles, adding that emergency personnel were swiftly deployed to evacuate victims and administer first aid.
“Security forces have since cordoned off the affected route and commenced clearance operations to ensure safety and prevent a repeat of the incident,” the report said.
“Those injured have been transferred to nearby hospitals where they are currently receiving medical attention.”
Last week, Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, said President Bola Tinubu is committed to addressing the growing security challenges in Borno state.
The minister spoke about the administration’s commitment to meeting all operational needs of the troops to enhance security in the region.
The Oodua Integrity Group, a Nigerian civil society organisation, has called on Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to investigate and arrest an alleged gun runner, land grabber,popularly called then insert Lucky Blessings Abuah aka bullets of Achala Ibusa village operating in Asaba and Ibuzor, Delta State, accusing him of orchestrating criminal activities with the aid of rogue police officers.
Tosin Olaoluwa, the group’s South-South coordinator, made the appeal following intelligence gathered from concerned residents.
The suspect, identified as Achala Ibusa but popularly known as “Bullet,” is accused of running a network involving illegal arms trafficking, land grabbing, and cult-related activities.
Olaoluwa claimed Bullet operates with the protection of police officers from Rivers State, in violation of regulations prohibiting officers from working outside their command without approval.
According to the group, four AK-47 rifles were recently discovered hidden in a house in Ibuzor.
Two mobile police officers guarding the property reportedly distanced themselves from the find, raising suspicions of their involvement with Bullet, who is allegedly a leader of the Viking cult.
The Oodua Integrity Group further alleged that an assistant commissioner of police is complicit in Bullet’s activities.
The group highlighted that up to 10 mobile police officers are attached to Bullet, despite IGP Egbetokun’s recent directive to withdraw such personnel from individuals not legally entitled to their services.
“We urge the IGP to take immediate action to arrest the culprit in the interest of the general public,” Olaoluwa said, describing Bullet as a miscreant exploiting government security agents to perpetrate crimes.
In a separate incident, the group claimed that security agents from an agency in Abuja, acting on intelligence, were prevented from arresting Bullet by his police escorts.
The officers, reportedly from Rivers State, allegedly used tear gas and fired shots to obstruct the operation.
The Oodua Integrity Group warned that Bullet’s activities, including stockpiling AK-47s and other weapons in Asaba and Ibuzor, pose a significant threat to public safety.
They called for a thorough investigation into the allegations and the immediate apprehension of those involved.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to respond to the allegations. Efforts to reach a spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The Kaduna state Police Command has debunked reports of a bomb explosion in the Abakpa area of the metropolis, which reportedly killed two children.
The spokesman of the Command, Mansir Hassan, said in a statement that preliminary investigations conducted by the Anti-Bomb Squad indicate that a locally made firearm (Dane gun) was discharged, resulting in the unfortunate loss of life of the young boy.
According to the police, the incident, which occurred at about 8:30 am on Tuesday at Josawa Road in the Abakpa area, claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy, identified as Abubakar Muhammed of Josawa Road, while seven other individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The statement stated that a combined team of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer of Kawo Division and the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Chairman of Kaduna North Local Government, all visited the scene following a distress call, and a thorough on-site assessment was carried out.
Police disclosed that further investigations and assessments are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Command equally assured the public that further developments will be promptly and transparently communicated.