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Tag: gunman

  • Gunman kills herdsman in Ondo community

    There was tension yesterday among residents of Ikaram in Akoko Northwest Local Government Area of Ondo State as a 25-year-old herdsman, Momodu Shuaib, was reportedly shot dead on his farm on the outskirts of the town by an unknown assailant.

    Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu swiftly sent his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Security Matters, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, to douse tension and meet stakeholders.

    Among those he met were the Akala of Ikaram, Oba Andrew Momodu, his chiefs, farmers and members of the Fulani community.

    The Fulanis expressed misgivings about how they had allegedly been maltreated in the community.

    Oba Momodu said the relationship between the host community and the Fulanis was cordial with regular meetings held among stakeholders in his palace.

    He said he was sad on the sudden death of the herdsman.

    The Police Area Commander for Akoko, Razak Rauf, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), assured the Fulani community that a thorough investigation would be conducted on the incident and the culprits would be prosecuted.

    The police chief told the bereaved family that the government would not encourage lawlessness, adding that they should be law-abiding.

    The father of the slain boy urged the government to ensure justice for his son and prevent the matter from being swept under the carpet.

    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Okeagbe, Adetarami Ibitayo, a Superintendent of Police (SP), was mandated to conduct further investigation on the incident.

    The meeting resolved that there should be no reprisal attack over the incident.

    The Fulani community and other stakeholders are billed to attend a parley with Governor Akeredolu on the development.

     

  • Gunman kills four at Christmas carol service in Kaduna

    Gunman kills four at Christmas carol service in Kaduna

    •Police beef up security nationwide
    •NSCDC deploys 45,000 personnel

    The Christmas festivity has taken off on a tragic note at Nindem village in Godogodo district of  Jema’a Local Government Area, Southern  Kaduna, with  the murder of four persons at a Christmas carol in the village.

    A lone gunman stormed the village square on Friday  night as residents gathered for their annual carol and unexpectedly started shooting  sporadically, felling all victims.

    Eight others were wounded, sources said yesterday.

    The village has been in a mourning mood since.

    The spokesman for Operation Safe Haven, the military task force charged with the responsibility of keeping the peace of the area, Colonel I. K. Ekpeyong confirmed the development.

    He said the bodies of the dead people had been deposited in a mortuary while the wounded persons were taken to the Kafanchan General Hospital for treatment.

    Some people suspected to be “masterminds of the attack “have been arrested for interrogation,” he said.

    More troops have been deployed to the area to avert a fresh attack or reprisal.

    The state government has condemned the attack and asked communities in the area to stand firm against any threat to peace. It urged them to reject those who might want to reprise the events of December 2016, a reference to a similar attack by gunmen on Goska village in the same Jema’a local government area.

    Scores of people were killed in that attack.

    Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, in a statement through his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, said: “the hard won peace in the area must be sustained and the culprits brought to book.

    “Security forces have informed the Kaduna State Government that there was an attack in Nimdem village on the night of Friday, 22nd December 2017. The government was further briefed, that arrests have been made and investigation is ongoing.

    “The government condemns this incident, and calls on all stakeholders to help uphold peace by working to avoid escalation and by supporting the security forces.

    “Government commiserates with the families of the victims in this sad moment. The grief and pain these acts of violence leave in their wake can be devastating. It is important that all communities stand firm against any threat to peace, and reject those who might want to reprise the terrible events of December 2016.

    “Government appeals for calm as security forces take action to restore peace and stability. Nobody should be allowed to truncate the right of citizens to live in peace and enjoy safety, or thwart their legitimate expectations of celebrating Christmas and the New Year in peace.”

    Southern Kaduna has over the years come under incessant attacks by gunmen who routinely invade villages killing and maiming residents.

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General  Tukur Buratai, in February, laid the foundation stone of the Forward Operation Base (FOB) of 2 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of the state as part of the effort to stem the incessant threat to peace in that part of the country.

    Commenting on the crisis at the time, Buratai had said: “There is need for understanding. It is a family issue that can be resolved amicably,” although he warned that those responsible for killings and violence would not go unpunished.

    “We will deal with anyone that foments trouble,” he said.

    The attack also came in the wake of security alert across the country by the police and allied agencies ahead of Christmas, especially in view of recent warnings by the USA and UK of possible terror attacks in parts of the country.

    The police leadership and that of the Department of State Security (DSS) have ordered all their personnel to be on active duty during the festivity.

    The two countries specifically asked their citizens to avoid the Northeast.

    In the case of the USA, it warned its citizens of the risks of travel to the Northeast which it claimed remains fluid and unpredictable while the risk of kidnappings, robberies, and other armed attacks are real in various parts of the country.

    “U.S. citizens should be vigilant at public gatherings and locations frequented by foreigners; markets, hotels, restaurants, bars, and places of worship may become targets for terrorist attacks,” it warned.

    Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris met with Commanders of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Counter-Terrorism Unit  (CTU) and gave stern directives on prevailing security situation and what to look out for, over the next few months.

    He told them to get fully prepared to “provide security for this country” especially this month and January.

    At the DSS, a source disclosed that operatives are not going on leave during the yuletide season to enable the organization   sustain the gains made over the last few months.

    The Adamawa State Police Command says it has, in collaboration with sister agencies, put in place adequate security measures to ensure hitch-free celebrations.

    No fewer than 6000 police personnel are being deployed to provide security in Akwa Ibom State during and after the yuletide.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Bala Elkana, said in Uyo that the action was to forestall any breach of peace and order during the celebrations.

    The personnel are being deployed to churches, relaxation centres, financial institutions as well as markets and public buildings.

    Elkana urged the people to be security conscious yuletide and charged them to also adhere to simple security tips during this period.

    The Ogun State Police Command is also deploying  tactical and covert policemen across the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state to ensure safety of residents and visitors during the period.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, assured residents of the determination of the force to provide adequate security and ensure that they enjoy a hitch – free yuletide and New Year.

    Abimbola, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), appealed to the Public to be vigilant and  alert the Police if  they noticed any strange or suspicious faces, gathering or movement in their domain to enable  the security agencies address the situation promptly.

    He said the police personnel so deployed “have a clear mandate of ensuring crime free Xmas and New Year celebration. A-24hour surveillance patrols have also been ordered around the various worship as well as event/recreation centres across the state,” Abimbola stated.

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) will have 45,000 of its personnel on special duty during the Christmas, according to Commandant General Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu.

    He directed  all State Commandants to ensure all black spots, shopping malls, recreation centres, markets square worship centres, hotels and critical Infrastructure and assets are well manned and secured.

    He cancelled the leave of all senior officers and directed that those on leave be recalled during this yuletide season

    Residents of Borno and Yobe States are  banking on the alertness of the security agents and their own security awareness to see them through the festivity.

    They try to avoid crowded places.

    For instance, many families have ruled out taking their children to relaxation centres for fear of attack by suicide bombers.

    Musa Ndjavara, a journalist said “I cannot even allow my children to go close to an amusement park much more allowing them to roam about for Christmas dances and fun like we used to do years back.”

    Baba Mshelia said: “we have seen it all in this crisis. Both Christians and Muslims have been affected. For now we are more conscious of what happens around us and our environment. We are more security trained by ourselves now more than ever before.”

    Chinedu Obina, a motor spare parts dealer in Maiduguri said: “The way we had a peaceful Sallah when Muslims and Christians came together to rejoice, that is how the Christmas will be.

    “For close to seven years now I have not been celebrating Christmas in Borno State because of fear of insurgency. But this time around I will celebrate my Christmas here with members of my family.”

    A Damaturu, Yobe State based trader, Emeka said: “I see no need why I should be moving with my family up and down because of insecurity in this place.

    “Tell me: which part of the country is safe now? We have spoilt everywhere with all sorts of criminal activities and we are blaming government for it. I am not going anywhere for the Christmas. I will celebrate it here.

    “If I say I will go to the East for Christmas and I run into kidnappers or armed robbers, I do not have N10 million to pay as ransom and free myself. When you succeed and enter the village, hired assassins are waiting. Different village meetings will also be waiting for you to pay them money. Even the village elders will be expecting money from you. All the burials they did in your absence, you must pay your dues.”

    A Kaduna resident, Mr. Ben Kemje, said he has resolved to avoid crowded places.

    He said, “The alert should not be taken lightly as most of the previous alerts almost came to pass. It is therefore, in my personal opinion, a wake-up call to all stakeholders particularly security agencies to put in place proactive measures that will see to it that the threat alert does not see the light of the day.

    “As an individual and my family, we have decided to avoid crowded environments, avoid walking in lonely areas, and praying regularly for God’s protection and guidance.”

    Mr. Olusegun Abayomi said:”Yes, we are aware of the warnings by the UK and US.

    “We have been warned to avoid crowded places which is practically impossible especially during the end of the year, the government and the security agencies should step up their game and use technology to intensify security now and always.”

    Another resident, Jacob Dickson said:”One important precaution from me would be to avoid places with large crowds, which would naturally be targeted because the terrorists would want maximum impact and casualties.

    “It is also important to be cautious when boarding public transportation, to avoid suspicious vehicles that may be laden with explosives.

    “Prayer is also very important, for God to protect me and prevent me from going to where there is danger even against my wish.”

    An Abuja resident, Mrs. Helen Fafore, said: “I love being in church with family and friends but this year, we have decided that not even New Year’s eve will be done in church; a lot is going to be done to create a happy Christmas at home, especially as my two children living abroad have compelling reasons not to come home till early next year,” she explained.

    Her friend, Deaconess Ronke Oyetola who was among those disappointed by an airline whose staff went on strike stated that she has seen countless signs that God wants people to have a low-profile yuletide season this time around.

    “True, the very bad economic situation, fuel scarcity and other issues are compelling people to have a rethink about how they enjoy the yuletide season but I believe that God wants us all to pause and ponder, having time for sober meditation and family togetherness instead of the usual frivolities,” she said.

    The Army, on Thursday, advised people in the Northeast to be vigilant and to guard against suicide bomb attack by Boko Haram insurgents during the yuletide.

    Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, said that it was imperative for the people to be vigilant and monitor suspicious persons in their communities, places of worship and other public places during the festive season.

    He said that the insurgents were taking advantage of the relaxed vigilance and security measures in the society to attack soft targets.

    His words:”Additionally, an assessment of recent trend of Boko Haram insurgents Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) campaign indicated a deliberate targeting of places of worships as witnessed in the disheartening incident of the suicide bombings.

    “One of the reasons adduced for easy infiltration by suicide bombers is the absence of measures to scrutinize and identify persons accessing these facilities.

    “Most places of worship have been found to exhibit similar deficiency and have lowered their guards, thereby exposing themselves to preventable attacks.”

    He asked community and religious leaders to sensitize and mobilize their people to be security conscious to prevent insurgents’ attack.

    Nwachukwu said the troops had sustained onslaught against the Boko Haram insurgents in the ongoing clearance operations at the fringes of northern Borno.

     

  • Gunman kills 27 in Texas church shooting

    Gunman kills 27 in Texas church shooting

    No fewer than 27 people have been killed after a gunman opened fire at a church during Sunday services in United States (U.S.), the police have said.

    The attack happened at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a small town in Wilson County, Texas.

    Police official Albert Gamez Jr confirmed the number of fatalities to CBS News.

    The gunman, who is reported to have been killed in the aftermath, entered the church and opened fire at around 11:30 local time (17:30 GMT).

    “The details are kind of sketchy but what I know right now, what they’re telling me, like 27 deceased and over 20, 25 injured,” Mr Gamez Jr said.

    “They’re talking about the shooter is dead also,” he added.

    About 50 people usually attend the service, locals said. Local media outlets reported that children were among the dead.

    Donald Trump, who is on a five-country tour in Asia, tweeted: “May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan.”

    Witnesses close to the small church reported hearing a rapid barrage of about 20 shots. Pastor Frank Buford of the neighbouring River Oaks church, just a few blocks away from the scene of the shooting, said relatives of victims had started to congregate at a makeshift community center.

    “We’re holding up as well as we can – we are a strong community, we are strong in our faith,” he told local reporters.

    Buford described Sutherland Springs as a close-knit community. “We have a post office, two churches and a dollar store,” he said.

    His church received word that a shooting was under way at their sister place of worship at about 11.15am local time, he said. “We started praying for everyone involved in it,” he said.

    The pastor of First Baptist, Frank Pomeroy, and his wife were said to be out of town on Sunday and not present when the shooting happened.

    First responders converged on the small town of around 400 people. Television stations KSAT and KENS reported a large police presence. A sheriff’s department dispatcher said everyone was at the scene and was unavailable to comment.

    KSAT reported that two Airlife helicopters were at the scene and broadcast video of several fire and police vehicles at the church and a photograph of a helicopter that the station said was arriving to take victims to hospitals.

    Read Also: Fire destroys 10m property at Abuja fun spot

  • Palestinian gunman kills three Israelis in West Bank

    Palestinian gunman kills three Israelis in West Bank

    Three Israelis have been shot dead by a Palestinian at the entrance to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, Israeli police said on Tuesday.

    The gunman, a 37-year-old from a nearby village, was also shot and died later, the BBC reports.

    Police said he pulled out a gun as he waited to enter Har Adar along with Palestinian labourers and opened fire on police and security guards.

    It is the latest in a wave of attacks on Israelis, mostly by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs, since late 2015.

    No group has taken responsibility for the attack, although Gaza-based Palestinian militant organisations Hamas and Islamic Jihad welcomed it.

    The gunman was a father-of-four who had an Israeli permit to work in Jewish settlements along the boundary of the West Bank, Israel’s internal security agency said.

    He came from the village of Beit Surik, about a mile east of Har Adar.

    The area is about 18km (11 miles) north-west of Jerusalem.

  • Barbaric church killing: Priest unhurt

    Barbaric church killing: Priest unhurt

    Buhari, Saraki, Dogara, others condemn attack

    It was all like an action-packed movie.

    A gunman dressed in black, storming a church and opening fire on worshippers.

    There was commotion. By the time the gunman left, no fewer than 11 worshippers lay dead.

    That was the scene yesterday at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Amakwa-Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. The gunman came during the early morning mass.

    Many were injured during the incident, which Governor Willie Obiano described as “sacrilegious”.

    An eyewitness, who narrated how the attack occurred, said the priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, was unhurt. The witness, who said he was part of those who evacuated the victims, said the gunman went into the church, identified Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, a parishioner, and shot him dead. He then went on the rampage, shooting indiscriminately at worshippers.

    Commissioner of Police Garba Baba Umar said 11 persons were killed and 18 injured. He said some people in the community had been invited for interrogation.

    It was leant that the gunman may have struck on the instruction of one of two suspected drug barons from the community who live in South Africa. One of them, who was the gunman’s target, is believed to have built the Catholic Church about two years ago.

    There are two accounts of the incident. One is that a gunman committed the crime. The other claimed there were six gunmen.

    A source from the community, who pleaded for anonymity, told The Nation that the gunmen visited the home of one of the drug barons, perhaps to assassinate him, but discovered that he had travelled.

    This, according to the source, might have made them to visit the Catholic Church near his house.

    The father of the suspected drug baron was killed along with others in the church

    The police commissioner said preliminary investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by people from the area and not by Boko Haram as being speculated in some quarters.

    He said: “From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried out the attack must be an indigene of the area.

    “We gathered that worshippers for 6 o’clock Sunday mass at St. Philip Ozobulu were in the service when gunmen dressed in black attire, covering their faces with fez caps, entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.

    “The men, after shooting at their targeted victim, still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers.’’

    It was learnt that the attackers were speaking Igbo when firing at the worshippers.

    Umar said though no arrest had been made, the police were working on the information that the attack followed a quarrel between two Ozubulu men living abroad.

    The commissioner of police said it was wrong for the perpetrators of the act to take their quarrel into the church, saying “such conduct shows the people behind the act do not fear God’’.

    The police have launched a manhunt for suspects.

    Dismissing the rumour that the attack was carried out by Boko Haram elements, Umar urged residents to go about their businesses without fear.

    Obiano visited the church and the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi where the injured were being treated.

    He also confirmed that the shooting followed a clash of two brothers based abroad. He described it as a “communal feud”.

    Obiano promised to offset the medical bills of the injured and assist in the funeral for those killed.

    Some of the critically injured died on the way to the hospital.

    Obiano added that intelligence report linked the shooting to an existing feud between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.

    “It is an isolated case and I urge worshippers in the Church and residents of the area to go about their normal activities.”

    He also said 50 doctors had been mobilised to the hospital to assist in providing the best medical care to the injured persons.

    The governor also visited Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi, where he addressed a congregation of worshippers.

    He intimated the worshippers on the true picture of the incident, saying there was nothing to worry about.

    The Priest of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, said the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m.

    According to him, an unidentified man came into the church, shot at a man,  Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.

    An eyewitness, who simply identified herself as a choir member, said the church was dark as there was no power supply at the time.

    She said the generating set suddenly stopped working; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candles.

    According to her, the gunman, after the shooting, immediately jumped into a waiting car with a driver.

    One of the survivors, Mr. Stephen Ohamadike told The Nation at the church premises that the gunmen entered the church around 6.45am as they were about to begin “ the prayer of the faithful”.

    His words: “Those of us who were to say the prayers of the faithful had just assembled at the altar and I had number 2 which meant that I was to say the prayer for Nigeria.

    “Suddenly, I saw someone who was putting on a cap, shooting indiscriminately inside the church.

    “There was pandemonium and in the midst of the confusion, I just lay down on the floor.

    “The officiating priest and the Mass servers quickly left the altar and the Mass came to an abrupt end.

    ”I counted 11 bodies and many were injured. I used the vehicle belonging to Pa Ikwgwuonu to take him and his wife and others to Evans Hospital where the doctors advised us to go to the teaching hospital.  I used the car to convey many other people to the hospital before I came back to Amakwa.”

  • Gunman injures Republican lawmaker, others

    A gunman wielding a rifle yesterday opened fire on Republican U.S. lawmakers practicing near Washington for a charity baseball game, wounding senior Republican leader Steve Scalise and several others before being fatally shot by police.

    The shooter, identified as a 66-year-old Illinois man who had vented at Republicans on social media, fired repeatedly at the baseball field in suburban Alexandria, Virginia. He was wounded in a gunfight with Capitol Hill police armed with pistols who were at the scene, lawmakers said.

    Scalise, No. 3 in the House of Representatives Republican leadership, was shot in the hip. He was tended to by fellow lawmakers including Brad Wenstrup, an Ohio congressman who is a physician, before being transported to a hospital.

    Also wounded were one current congressional aide and one former aide who now works as a lobbyist, officials said. One Capitol Hill police officer also suffered a gunshot wound and another officer suffered a non-gunshot injury, an official said.

    The gunman, identified by a senior U.S. official as James Hodgkinson from the St. Louis suburb of Belleville, Illinois, died of his injuries. Hodgkinson worked as a home inspector.

    His social media presence indicated he was strongly opposed to Republicans, including President Donald Trump. Police and the FBI said it was too early to determine a motive in the shooting or whether the attack was an attempted political assassination.

    Trump announced the gunman’s death and called Scalise, a 51-year-old Louisiana congressman, a good friend. Speaking at the White House, Trump said Scalise was “badly injured” but in stable condition and would recover.

  • Gunman escaped lynching in Edo

    A member of a four-man armed gang who attacked and stabbed a pharmacist in Benin City was beaten to coma by a mob.

    The pharmacist whose names could not be ascertain as at press time was stabbed severally in the stomach.

    It was gathered that the attackers stormed the pharmacist shop along Wire Road, opposite Emotan College, in an Audi 80 car at about 6:25pm and ran away after the attack but left one of their member behind.

    The shots fired by the attackers attracted youths in the area to the scene.

    One of the suspect who was left behind attempted to scare the youths away by brandishing a shot gun but the gun refused to fire.

    He was said to have scaled the perimeter fence of Emotan College but the youths was pursued and caught him.

    The youths beat him to coma until policemen from Obi market police division arrived and saved the suspect from being killed.

    It could not however be ascertained whether it was a case of robbery or assassination as the pharmacist was rushed to a nearby hospital.

    Attempt to obtain comment from the spokesman of the Edo Police Command, DSP Osifo Abiodun, failed.

  • Five injured as gunman shoots at Bauchi residents

    The Bauchi State Police Command yesterday said a gunman shot several residents at Bigi Village, near Bauchi.

    Police spokesman Abbas Abdullahi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident yesterday.

    He said the victims have been taken to the University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi for treatment.

    The police spokesman said not all those who were shot had died.

    Abdullahi explained that some of the victims were receiving treatment at the teaching hospital.

    He said the police had not confirmed the number of casualties.

    The police spokesman, however, assured that the figure would be announced.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police have cordoned off the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

    Also, the police and army formations in Bauchi metropolis have been barricaded.

    NAN learnt that vehicular and human traffic has been reduced while a section of the road to the office of the police commissioner has also been condoned off.

    Access to Army Barracks has since been restricted to forestall attack.

    Five people sustained injuries at a drinking joint when an unknown gunman Monday opened fire in Bigi village a suburb of Bauchi metropolis in Bauchi local Government area.

    NAN gathered that the gunman entered the joint where people were eating and drinking and joined them.

    He said: “After he finished eating, he used his gun and shot three people. Some good Samaritans at the joint attempted to overpower him and arrest him, but he used his gun and hit two people who also sustained injuries before he fled.”

    The source further revealed that all the five injured people have been taken to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital for medical treatment and security has beefed up in the area to prevent further attack or break down of law and order.