The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gunmen

  • Gunmen open fire on worshippers in Kaduna

    One person was killed and several others injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on worshippers during Sunday service at a Catholic Church in Ungwar Pau-Pau in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The incident happened in the early hours of yesterday when the gunmen invaded the church during the service, shooting sporadically.

    Eyewitness said one of the youth guarding the church was killed. Several others injured are reportedly receiving treatment at various hospitals in the area.

    Kachia experienced a religious clash in May, 2014, following destruction of a fence on a land owned by the state government. Muslims in Kachia use the land as Eid prayer ground.

    Many people were killed during the incidents, while churches and mosques were also burnt.

    In yesterday’s attack, the eyewitness said:”They came with sophisticated weapons shooting and one person died instantly while several others injured have been admitted at various hospitals. Church Mass was ongoing when the gunmen came and started shooting.”

    Another resident, Mr. Timothy Gomel, said: “Military personnel came and asked some of our youths to lead them to where the attackers retreated through. As I am talking to you, they are combing the bush.”

    Though Chairman of Kachia Local Government, Peter Agite could not be reached as at the time of going to the press, his deputy, Alfred Alfred confirmed the incident to reporters.

  • Suspected gunmen kill 15 in Rivers

    Suspected gunmen yesterday invaded Egi community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers  State, killing 15 people.

    The gunmen reportedly invaded seven communities two days ago.

    A source said they came to Egi in a bus, armed.

    The invaded areas included Obagi, Ede, Obite, Egi town, Obieze, Obimiri and Akabka.

    A resident, Elder Obinache Anthony, said the hoodlums stormed his area at night and shot sporadically, killing  people.

    He said the attack was a  reprisal, noting that supremacy battle by cults in the area might have caused the early morning killings.

    Obinache added: “It is unfortunate that innocent people were killed. Residents have deserted their homes. Government has, however, directed the Joint Task Force (JTF) to intervene.”

    Police spokesman Ahmad Mohammad, who spoke through his deputy, ASP Grace Iringe Okoko, said he was yet to confirm the incident. He promised to get back to our reporter.

  • Suspected gunmen kidnap 90-year-old senator’s mum

    Suspected gunmen kidnap 90-year-old senator’s mum

    Suspected gunmen yesterday abducted Madam Florentina, the 90-year-old mother of Senator Emmanuel Paulker, from her home in Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    Residents were angry that the gunmen kidnapped the woman despite her age.

    They were also annoyed because the woman was kidnapped for the second time in four years.

    In February 23, 2010, the old woman was abducted by armed youths, who demanded N100million ransom.

    She was rescued in March 2010 by security operatives, who reportedly shot one of the kidnappers on Immiringi Road in a battle.

    It was learnt that the kidnappers returned about 3am on Wednesday and executed their evil plot. A source said they were five and  armed with AK47 and other rifles.

    He added: “The kidnappers came through the main road. They drove a vehicle into the community and shot into the air to create panic among the people, who were fast asleep.

    “They broke into the old woman’s room and took her away to an unknown place. Some residents thought the abductors were armed robbers.”

    Another source decried the kidnap of Madam Florentina.

    Police Commissioner Hilary Opara confirmed the incident. He said one of the suspects had been arrested.

  • Robbers kill fuel station manager in Kaduna

    Robbers kill fuel station manager in Kaduna

    Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers on Monday evening attacked a fuel station in Kaduna and killed the manager.

    It was learnt they went away with an unspecified amount of money.

    Five armed men in a Golf car drove into the filling station, Ruma Petroleum, at Ungwan Muazu on Nnamdi Azikwe way, Kaduna South local government area, about 7pm.

    The Nation gathered that after filling the tank with petrol, they brought out guns and dispossessed the attendants, the station owner, Alhaji Shaibu Abubakar, and owners of two vehicles at the station, of their money and phones.

    An eyewitness, Malam Ismail Musa, said they shot the station manager, Stephen Anebi, in the head, when he said he had no money on him.

    Musa said: “It was not quite 30 minutes when I bought fuel from the filling station when the incident occurred. I was still around but not in the filling station. When they came in, there were two other vehicles in the station.

    ‘’After filling their tank, they brought out guns and ordered the pump attendants, the owner and occupants of the other vehicles to bring out their phones and money.

    “They asked the manager for money but when he could not give them, they shot him in his head. I entered the station and called the ‘Hakimi’ (District Head) Ungwan Muazu and told him of the situation. He asked me to call the ‘Dakaci’ (Ward Head) of the area.

    “The Hakimi called the Divisional Police Officer, who came and rushed the manager to 44 Army Reference Hospital, where I learnt he died few hours after,” Musa said.

    Sources said residents threw stones at the robbers as they drove off towards Abuja junction.

    The victim, Anebi, an Igala man, hailed from Kogi State, and was married. He has four children.

    At the deceased’s family home yesterday in Kakuri, sympathisers were condoling with his wife and family.

    Station owner Abubakar was also at his late manager’s home.

    Speaking to reporters, he narrated: “When I heard noise downstairs, I rushed down from my upstairs’ office, and I was ordered to lie down with the rest.

    “The gunmen were five; they collected our handsets and the day’s sales. But unfortunately it was only my manager that they killed.

    “Stephen was a good man; he was gentle, trustworthy and hard working. I just promoted him to manager a few weeks ago.

    “I reported the incident to the police, and the police took my statements at Ungwan Muazu police station, and I believe the police will get to the root of this sad killing of my manager.

    Anebi’s body was deposited at Saint Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kakuri.

    Police spokesperson Aminu Lawal confirmed the attack and the shooting of the manager, saying investigations were on.

     

  • Monarch, 15 others killed in Borno

    Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members yesterday invaded Garubula village, Biu local Government area of Borno State, killing the District Head, Alhaji Ibrahim Dawi, and 11 others.

    Two people suspected to be members of vigilante youth a.k.a as civilian JTF, were last night dragged from their houses to a river bank in Gamboru Ngala border town with Cameroon Republic and killed them.

    Two people suspected to be a motorist and a passenger, were ambushed and shot dead along Maiduguri – Gamboru Ngala road.The Maiduguri – Gamboru Ngala road came under attack on Tuesday by terrorists with the blowing of the the bridge linking the town with Cameroon Republic.

    Speaking with the BBC Hausa service programme monitored in Maidugurji, Senator Ahmed Zanna (Borno Central) confirmed the killing of the two members of the Civilian JTF.

  • Gunmen shoot lecturer

    Gunmen shoot lecturer

    Gunmen have killed a lecturer of the Shehu Idris College of Health Technology, Kaduna State.

    Ishiaku Garba was killed minutes after he said his evening prayers.

    A source said: “He rushed home to attend to  some ‘visitors’, who were waiting for him.

    “The ‘visitors’, who were the gunmen, collected his wife’s phone and some unspecified amount of money and other valuables.”

    Police spokesperson Aminu Lawan said investigations have begun.

  • Gunmen kill three in Port Harcourt

    Three men were killed in Amadi-Ama village in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Wednesday night.

    The gunmen were said to have walked into a compound known as Heavens Gate, at 9.40pm and shot at the victims.

    Eyewitness said two of the three victims died immediately; the third died in the hospital.

    The suspected assassins walked away unchallenged.

    It was gathered that one of the victims, identified as Iyowuna, was to contest in a youth group election tomorrow.

    Another victim was identified as Abiye; the identity of the third could not be established.

    It was gathered that Abiye and the third victim were Iyowuna’s friends who visited him that night.

    Police spokesman Ahmad Mohammad said “details of the incident were still sketchy”.

  • Kaduna-based newspaper GM assassinated

    Kaduna-based newspaper GM assassinated

    Gunmen on Friday night killed the General Manager of the Kaduna based weekly newspaper, The New Democrat, Mallam Uztaz Yunus Adam, in the city moments after breaking his fast for the day.

    He was killed at his residence in Ungwa Dosa, Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State in what neighbours claimed to be pure assassination.

    They said the gunmen left the scene without taking anything from the house.

    The police, however, disagreed.

    The Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Aminu Lawan, a Superintendent, said it was a robbery attack.

    According to him, “The robbers came and demanded for some items from the man. They collected some items and thereafter shot him dead.”

    The police, he added, are already investigating the matter.

    A neighbour who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said Adam was killed by a gang of seven assassins who came in a tricycle.

    He said the man who pulled the trigger of the gun wore a mask.

    Corroborating the neighbour, a family source said:  “He went to the mosque for the Maghrib prayer and thereafter broke his fast.

    “He then visited the washroom to ease himself only to see the group of seven men with his family on his return to the sitting room. One of the men wore a mask. It was the masked man that shot Ustaz after ordering the family to leave.

    “They came in Keke NAPEP and zoomed off thereafter without taking away anything.”

    The publisher of the newspaper, Senator Mukhtar Ahmed Aruwa, described his late GM as a complete gentleman who will be missed.

    On whether it was a case of armed robbery or assassination, he said, “It cannot be a case of armed robbery; they did not take anything from his house, they only took away phones.”

    The deceased has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

  • Gunmen shoot Abia commissioner

    Gunmen on Wednesday night shot Abia State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Ken Nwosu.

    He was shot on his way to his country home.

    The police command said the incident occurred around Umuajata/Amakamma Road near Stella Inter-Communication in Umuahia South Local Government, on the outskirts of Umuahia.

    Police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna said the commissioner was driving home about 8:05pm when he was shot.

    He said the victim was overtaken by a Toyota Camry car believed to be occupied by gunmen, who shot him on the lonely road.

    Ogbonna said: “The bullet hit him, touching his intestines. They shot continuously, thinking they had killed him.

    “It was obvious that they had a hidden agenda because they did not steal anything. Investigations will unravel their real motive.”

    He said nobody had been arrested and urged the public to assist the police.

    The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Abia Specialist Hospital, Prof. Augustus Mbanaso, said the commissioner was injured.

    He said his condition was serious when he was brought to the hospital.

    “But he is responding to treatment. I want Nigerians to pray for his recovery. He is being closely monitored,” Prof. Mbanaso added.

    The CMD, who said Governor Theodore Orji had visited the victim, added that surgery had also been carried out on a woman who was affected by stray bullets.

    Dr. Nwosu was kidnapped when he was the executive director of the National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike.

  • Gunmen attack Bayelsa community

    Scores of gunmen have laid siege to Zion community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    The hoodlums, who rode on many speedboats, our correspondent gathered, overran the community and shot sporadically in a siege that lasted for two days.

    A security source said a chief from the community sustained bullet wounds in the surprise attack by the gunmen suspected to have come from neighbouring Ekeni community.

    “The chief is critically injured,” the source who pleaded for anonymity said.

    “The operation started on June 26th and lasted till 27th. The gunmen came on many speedboats.

    “They were fully armed. The incident created panic among residents of the area who ran into the mangroves for safety,” he added.

    The source also said the gunmen barricaded the waterways and attacked two passenger boats.

    He said the hoodlums carted away valuables and dispossessed the passengers of about N1million in cash.

    It was further learnt that a communication technician in the employ of a telecommunication firm was abducted and whisked away to an unknown place by the bandits.

    “The technician was on his was to repair a faulty mast of the company in the area when the boat conveying him ran into the gunmen. They kidnapped him and took him to an unknown place,” he said.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, it was gathered, had deployed gunboats to the area to restore the peace.

    The gunboats were also said to be on the trail of the hoodlums.

    But Opara could not be reached for comments.