The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gunmen

  • Gunmen kill policeman, girl in Bauchi

     

     

    A girl and a policeman were killed during a fresh attack in Bauchi on Monday, a development the army blamed on the Boko Haram sect.

    The attack at the home of a Muslim cleric in Darazo, Bauchi State, was the first attributed to the group since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

    “The gunmen came on motorcycles and headed straight to the home of the cleric and opened fire indiscriminately, killing a girl and a policeman living in the area,” local resident Baffale Sanusi told AFP on telephone.

    A military source confirmed the deaths and said two more people were wounded in the attack which took place at the time of Muslim evening prayers.

    “We have received reports of shootings in Darazo this evening and we have mobilised troops from nearby military formation to the town to deal with the situation,” a senior military source in Bauchi told AFP.

    “We strongly suspect Boko Haram gunmen are behind the shootings,” the source added.

    Another local resident, Umar Mato, said the streets were deserted after the attack as soldiers “laid siege on the town looking for the gunmen.”

     

     

  • Gunmen kill two policemen in Kaduna

    The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Mr Olufemi Adenike, has confirmed the killing of two policemen by unknown gunmen during a Tuesday night attack.

    Adenike told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, that the officers were killed when the gunmen attacked the Divisional Police Headquarters at Kaura Local Government Area.

    The commissioner, who identified those killed as Sgt.  Benedict Audu and Cpl. Gabriel Joshua said he had already paid condolence visits to the bereaved families.

    He said one of the officers was shot dead on the spot while the second one died around 2am on Wednesday at the Kafanchan General Hospital.

    Adenike said the attackers took advantage of the porous nature of the police headquarters because it was not fenced.

  • Gunmen kill two policemen in Gombe

    The police in Gombe State has confirmed the killing of two of its men by gunmen during an attack at a filling station in the state capital on Sunday night.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Fwaje Atajiri, confirmed this in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Gombe.

    He said the gunmen attacked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega filling station on the Gombe-Biu road at 7.20pm with the intent of robbing the station, but failed.

    He said the two policemen were killed by the robbers while some members of the gang escaped with bullet wounds.

    Atajiri told NAN the police had started investigation on the incident with a view to find out where the wounded robbers were being treated.

     

  • One killed, 20 injured as gunmen attack beer spot in Benue

    Some gunmen have killed a man at a beer parlour in Kyado, Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.

    The attackers also injured several others and burnt houses.

    The victim, identified as Mr Msughaondo Lamana, was reportedly beaten to death by the gunmen, who were armed with clubs, knives and guns.

    A resident, Terhile Shikaan, and several others were said to have sustained machete cuts on their heads. They are receiving treatment in hospitals.

    The attack occurred at 8pm on Monday when some customers gathered at Sunny Beer Parlour in Kyado to relax.

    The 20 gunmen reportedly stormed the place and started beating up people and destroying property.

    It was learnt that the police in Ukum Divisional Unit were drafted in the area to prevent reprisal attack and maintain order.

    Mr. Tyowua Torsen, the owner of the drinking spot, told The Nation that the incident occurred between 8.30pm and 9pm when he was on his way to Makurdi, the state capital, for an urgent engagement.

    He said the gunmen killed his younger brother, Msughaondo.

    Torsen said: “I was on my way from Kyado to Makurdi for an engagement when I was called on phone that the chairman of Ukum Local Government, Teryima Nguher, allegedly sent some thugs to my beer parlour. The thugs inquired from the manager about my whereabouts. Having told them that I was not around, they beat up Dooior Anza. They also killed Msughaondo Lamana and injured scores of others.”

    But Nguher denied the allegation.

    Police spokesman, said Daniel Ezeala, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.

    He said investigation has begun into the matter.

  • Gunmen abduct Dickson’s aide

    Gunmen abduct Dickson’s aide

    Unidentified gunmen yesterday kidnapped the Special Adviser to Bayelsa State Governor on Power, Olice Kemenanabo.

    Kemenanabo was reportedly abducted at D-Line, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at 3.30pm by three gunmen.

    Sources said the special adviser was driving into his home at 12, Iriebe Street, D-Line, when the hoodlums struck.

    A top security source said the bandits ambushed their unsuspecting victim.

    The source said: “He was returning home from church but unknown to him, some gunmen had laid ambush for him.

    “He was taken away in his own car. The gunmen threatened to shoot him, if he raised the alarm.”

    Kemenanabo is also the Managing Director of Bayelsa Electricity Company.

    An executive member confirmed the development. He said the matter had been reported to the police and the special adviser on Security.

  • 32 killed as Fulani gunmen attack Plateau villages

    32 killed as Fulani gunmen attack Plateau villages

    Thirty-One people were killed yesterday when suspected Fulani gunmen attacked Bolgan, Karkashi and Magama villages in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

    The suspected Fulani gunmen allegedly invaded the villages in the early hours of yesterday, setting several homes ablaze.

    At the time of filing this report, over 3,000 displaced persons from the villages had relocated to Mabudi, the headquarters of the local government.

    Most of them were occupying primary schools and markets for shelter. Majority of them were women, children and the aged.

    Most of the primary and secondary schools in Mabudi were closed down to allow the displaced persons have shelter.

    It was learnt that secondary school pupils, who are writing their National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations were mostly affected by the attack.

    Mathew Ponfa, a resident of Mabudi, said he lost two of his younger brothers and his sister-in-law to the attack.

    According to him, several households in the villages could not find their relations.

    Ponfa said scores of villagers were still combing the bushes in desperate search for their relatives.

    An eyewitness said the gunmen chased their victims on motorcycles and shot them at close range.

    Bolgang, it was learnt, was razed down by the gunmen after they killed nine residents. Other residents escaped to different directions.

    The attackers killed the villagers and burnt their homes as men of the Special Task Force (STF) on Jos Crises, code-named Operation Safe Haven, reportedly failed to respond to the villagers’ distress calls.

    A source said the casualties would have been minimal, if the troops had responded early when they were told the gunmen were on their way to attack the villages.

    It was also learnt that the death toll at Magama was the highest. The victims were said to be mostly children and the aged.

    Rev. Nandip Miri, the chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC) of the Church of Christ in Nation (COCIN), said he lost his aged father and brother, among other relatives, in the attack.

    The senator representing Plateau South in the National Assembly, Victor Lar, expressed shock over the renewed violence.

    He described the situation as unfortunate. The senator noted that the government has done all it could to restore peace in the zone.

    Lar urged the people to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies, who he said are empowered to deal with such situations.

    But the police command said it had not been briefed on the attack and could, therefore, not confirm the casualty figure.

    The Chairman, Management Committee of Langtang South Local Government Area, Nanman Darko, however, confirmed the attack.

    He said over 32 people from the local government were killed by the suspected Fulani gunmen.

    The council chief explained that following his report to the STF, troops were moved to the affected villages to restore order and prevent further attacks.

    Darko said yesterday’s attack was the worst the residents had witnessed in recent time.

    He described the gunmen as heartless and barbaric.

  • Gunmen kill two soldiers in Kaduna village attack

    Two soldiers were killed yesterday when some gunmen engaged security operatives, including soldiers, in an exchange of gunfire in Kwasakwasa village, 70 kilometres from Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State.

    The incident came four days after an attack on three villages in the area and barely 24 hours after Governor Mukthar Ramalan Yero visited the area.

    The governor had promised that the government would collaborate with neigbouring Zamfara and Niger states to tackle persistent attacks in the area.

    The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, One Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Col. Sani Kukasheka, confirmed the incident.

    He said there was an encounter between soldiers and gunmen.

    The Army spokesman said he was attending a programme in Jaji, Kaduna State, when the incident occurred.

    Kukasheka said: “Yes, I can confirm to you that there was an encounter between our soldiers and insurgents in Birnin Gwari. A number of the assailants were killed. Unfortunately, we also sustained two casualties. Details later. Thank you.”

    The latest attack on the village, which sources said was repelled by security agents, occurred at 6am yesterday.

    It was learnt that some vehicles belonging to the security operatives were burnt during the attack.

    The source, who said several villagers and security men were injured in the attack, hailed the soldiers deployed in the area for their bravery.

    He added that the boldness displayed by the security agents helped in repelling the invaders.

    The casualty figure among the gunmen could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report yesterday.

    However, the source said the Chairman of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, Alhaji Idris Alhassan, was on hand to convey the victims to Birnin Gwari General Hospital.

  • Gunmen kill four as two Kaduna villages are sacked

    Some gunmen yesterday killed four people in Gwaron Dutse and Gwaska, two villages in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, in separate attacks.

    Several others were displaced.

    The Nation learnt that most of the villagers abandoned their homes and ran for safety when the gunmen, who were suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, stormed the villages at 4pm on Saturday and started shooting sporadically.

    Sources said the residents were terrified by the sound of machine guns.

    A resident, who spoke in confidence, said: “It was terrifying. We were at home when we started hearing gunshots from all directions. So, we all ran, including our wives, children, adult and the aged, into nearby bush.

    “We suspected the attackers were armed bandits who have been terrorising our villages. We need help because there are no policemen or soldiers in our town. These people always come to terrorise us. As I am talking to you now, our villages have been turned to ghost towns. We all abandoned everything to save our lives.”

    The Nation also learnt that the gunmen invaded one of the villages last Wednesday but were repelled by members of a vigilance group, who reportedly engaged them in a shootout.

    Some of the attackers were reportedly injured.

    The gunmen may have come back on a revenge mission, it was learnt.

    The source added: “They (attackers) were in the village on Wednesday but our vigilance group engaged them in a shootout. So, they left with some of their injured members. That is why they came back on Saturday for a revenge on the villagers.”

    The chairman of the local government, Alhaji Idris Musa Alhassan, confirmed the incident.

    He said four people were killed by the bandits and two others injured.

    Police Commissioner Adenaike Olufemi said he has not been briefed on the incident. He promised to address reporters today.

  • Gunman kills four in California

    A gunman has been killed by police after a shooting spree that ended with four victims dead in the Californian city of Santa Monica, Sky News reports.

    Santa Monica police chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said the rampage began just before noon on Friday when emergency calls reported shots fired and a house on fire.

    Officers arriving at the scene found a home engulfed in flames. The bodies of at least two men – said to be related to the gunman – were discovered inside.

    There are unconfirmed reports the pair were the man’s father and brother.

    A woman was also found shot in the arm in a car outside the home and was taken to hospital.

    Chief Seabrooks said the shooting continued as the gunman, dressed all in black and wearing what appeared to be a bullet vest, stole a vehicle and travelled west from that scene toward Santa Monica College, randomly shooting and killing several people on the way.

    The gunman sprayed a city bus with bullets, injuring at least one woman on board, and shot at several other cars as he made his way onto the community college campus.

     

  • Gunmen kill Sokoto lawmaker

    Some gunmen, suspected to be robbers, on Monday night killed a Sokoto lawmaker, Murtala Attahiru Wauru, and made away with his vehicle.

    Wauru, who was representing Gada West Constituency in Sokoto East Senatorial District, was also the Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

    The police said they have not made any arrest in connection with the incident.

    Wauru’s killers reportedly trailed and attacked him at Mabera area of the town at 9.30pm when he was returning home from a meeting.

    “We were sitting in a group when we heard gunshots. We were all scared. Some of us even took cover,” said a resident who did not want to be named.

    Police spokesman Al-Mustapha Sani, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.

    He said: “We got information on the incident. Investigations are ongoing. The police commissioner is attending the burial.”

    Police Commissioner Sha’aibu Lawal Gambo yesterday told reporters after the burial that the late lawmaker was trailed to a dark area at Mabera, on the outskirts of the town, where he was killed.

    Gambo said: “Investigation showed that he was shot while he struggled with the armed robbers over the car.

    “The men of the command recovered four empty shells, an indication that the weapon used in the attack was an AK 47 assault rifle.

    “The command is working hard to unravel the killers of the legislator with a view to prosecuting them.”