Tag: Zamfara

The National Youth Service Corps has said one of the remaining two Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) kidnapped in Zamfara in August 2023 has been released. 

The organisation said the PMC was rescued by a combined effort of the security agencies led by the Officers and men of 2 Battalion under I Division of Nigeria Army, Kaduna. 

Director, Information and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa confirmed the release of the PMC in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. 

He noted that with the rescue of the corps member, a total of seven (7) of the eight corps members have been rescued.

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The statement reads: “Efforts are still on-going to secure the safe release of the remaining male Prospective Corps Member who is still in custody of the kidnappers. 

“Speaking on the rescue, the Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General YD Ahmed appreciates the gallant efforts of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their dedication and commitment towards the rescue of the Prospective Corps Members. 

“He expressed optimism that the remaining Prospective Corps Member will also be rescued very soon. 

“Similarly, the Director General advised all Prospective and serving Corps Members to avoid night journeys and always be security conscious at all times.”

The Emir of Kotorkoshi in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmad Umar, has attributed the infiltrations of foreigners who have come to harness the mineral resources, especially gold, for the lingering banditry and other forms of criminalities in Zamfara State.

He said disagreements between Fulani and Hausas over cattle rearing, farming and grazing land were initially the main cause of the conflict, “but the situation has been aggravated by the discovery of gold and other mineral resources in the region.”

The Emir said this when Defence Correspondents who were on a tour of Operation Hadarin Daji led by Deputy Director, Coordination of Media Operations, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Dahiru Abumawashi visited his palace in Zamfara.

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He said: “The truth is that there are foreign collaborators in the security situation in Zamfara State.

“Our people have been killed; other Nigerians have also been killed. The more security agencies kill the armed Fulanis, the more their numbers increase. Today the military and other security agencies will go after them and kill them; tomorrow another set will come and attack our people.

“They come in from Mali, Burkina Faso and other places, kill our people and loot our resources.”

The emir also blamed inequality and selfish politicians for prioritising party interests over national security, a situation he described as unpatriotic.

He said: “Politics is another reason why insecurity has lingered. If a governor brings an initiative to address insecurity, those from the other political party will not support him. The political class must bury their differences by being patriotic if we must tackle the menace of insecurity,” 

“To end banditry in Nigeria, there must be equality. Nigerians, especially the poor, have been denied basic things of life by the political class. Some politicians without university degrees earn far way above graduates and even soldiers who sacrifice the comfort for the country.”

The Emir called for a holistic solution to the problem, urging the federal, state and local governments to work together to identify the root causes of the insecurity.

He advocated for increased military force against the perpetrators and improved welfare for security personnel.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division Sokoto, Maj.-Gen. Godwin Mutkut, says the military always takes precautionary measures that prevent civilian casualties during operations.

He also said that civilian protection is central to military operations against terrorists and bandits in the division’s area of responsibility.

The GOC said this when he received a team of Defence correspondents at the 8 Division headquarters in Sokoto.

He said: “The primary reason we carry out our operations in the first place is to protect civilians so they can go about their normal businesses. The civilian population is central to our operations, and we try as much as possible to make sure that these civilians don’t mix with the bandits…. we ensure they don’t stray into areas where the bandits are. We go as far as protecting them in their farms.”

Gen. Mutkut who is also the Force Commander of Operation Hadarin Daji, a military operation against terrorists and bandits in the North West, said the military was usually guided by enough intelligence before it engaged or bombed terrorists in their hideouts.

He said: “We (the military) do not work alone but in collaboration with other security agencies such as the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and civilian vigilantes. So we gather intelligence from different sources before we strike.

“Our aircraft do not just bomb indiscriminately. Anytime we bomb a bandit hideout, we know it is the bad people that we bombed.

“We know where the bandits are hiding. We know all their enclaves, we know that the bandits dig up caves in the hills and hide to avoid being seen whenever our aircraft are looking for them.

On the recent air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Bayan Ruwa in Zamfara state, where the military was accused of killing civilians, GOC said the narrative in the media space was untrue and being propagated by the terrorists and their sympathizers to discredit military operations.

He said: “I know why you are asking this question, it is because of the recent incident in Bayam Ruwa where they said we bombed civilians. But I can tell you that everybody in Bayaruwa is a bandit. I am saying that nobody in Bayaruwa that is not a bandit. If there is anyone saying Bayan Ruwa is not for bandits let him come and let’s take him there. 

Read Also: Fleeing villagers storm Zamfara Government House to seek protection from bandits

“All of them in Bayan Ruwa are bandits, no exception. Anybody saying anything on the contrary is just saying it out of nothing. We in the military know this.”

Earlier in his remarks, the team leader, Brig.-Gen. Dahiru Abu-Mawashi said the purpose of the Defence Correspondents’ visit to the theatre of operation was to “ give the true perspective of our operational activities and also to avoid manipulation of our operational occurrences by enemies of the state to perpetrate their evil acts of portraying the country in a bad light.”

He said the visit was to also “deepen the relationship between the military and the media by spearheading media access to enable direct interaction with the frontline formations and units, to have the true picture of things.”

Hundreds of fleeing villagers of Bini community in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara stormed Government House, Gusau, on Sunday seeking government’s protection against bandits.

The villagers, mainly women and children said they fled their village following the withdrawal of military security personnel from the area.

A male among them, Malam Umar Salisu, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they had to flee from the community following the withdrawal of military personnel from the area.

“Before now, there were military personnel attached to our village. Some of them were killed by bandits while some were withdrawn on Sunday.

“There are no security personnel in our area now. That is why we decided to carry all our wives and children to come to Government House and seek for government’s intervention,’’ Salisu said.

Another fleeing community member, Hajia Aisha Usman expressed displeasure at the condition of people of the community.

“We are highly disturbed. We receive threats of attacks from bandits on daily basis.

“There are no security personnel to protect us. We are seeking for government’s intervention,’’ she said.

Yet another community member, Malam Wakkala Gurgu said: “we decided to come to Government House to inform government about security threats in our community.

“We want government to take quick action as regards the security situation. Bandits are currently in our communities.

“We want government to help us and deploy security personnel to our area,’’ Gurgu said.

Addressing the gathering on behalf of the state government, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Alhaji Wadatau Madawaki explained that the bandits were mounting pressure because government had refused to negotiate with them.

Read Also: NSA receives 22 rescued Zamfara varsity students, staff

“The government of Gov. Dauda Lawal maintains its stand that it will not negotiate with bandits.

“I am happy with the way and manner you have conducted yourselves. I urge you to continue to be patient.

“Government has been making efforts to end lingering security challenges in the state,’’ he said.

Madawaki added that government had made arrangements to return the fleeing villagers to their community in the company of security operatives.

(NAN)

The National Security Adviser (NSA) Malam Nuhu Ribadu on Monday received 22 abducted students and staff of Federal University, Gusau in Zamfara rescued on Sunday.

The 22, comprising 15 students and seven workers of the university, were abducted from the university in September 2023.

According to the NSA, the rescue operation was coordinated by the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) on Sunday.

Ribadu urged them not to allow their experience to break but make them stronger.

The NSA also thanked the parents of the rescued victims for their patience and understanding during the period and commended security agencies for their tireless work and sacrifices.

“On behalf of the President, I thank all those involved in the successful rescue of the victims without losing anyone of them or paying any ransom.

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“This is yet again a success story in our efforts to free all those being unlawfully held in captivity.

“We have so far released over a thousand of such victims without noise and in complete respect to their privacy and safety.

“This occasion marks a final juncture in a series of rescues we have undertaken in the last few months, to free victims of recent cases of mass abductions.

“Going forward, we are strengthening law enforcement and security measures to prevent these abductions, and strengthen physical security across vulnerable communities,” he said.

The National Coordinator, NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, recalled that those rescued were abducted from the school on Sept. 22, 2023 at about 0230hrs.

Laka said bandits armed with various weapons attacked three off-campus students’ hostels at Sabon Gida in Gusau, and kidnapped a number of female students alongside some male artisans.

Others, he said, were a private security guard and a protocol officer of the university.

He added that the bandits ransacked the hostels, carted away foodstuffs, mobile phones, laptops, ATM cards, cash and other valuables.

According to him, the abductees were subsequently herded on motorcycles and foot to a location through a town in Tsafe local government area of Zamfara.

“Search and rescue was conducted by a combined team of law enforcement agencies and the abductees were subsequently released in three batches, after 207 days in captivity.

“The first batch was rescued on March 15 while the second batch was rescued on April 12 and the last batch rescued on April 14.

“All the abductees were profiled at NCTC while the ONSA Medical Team examined them and administered minor treatments on the bruises sustained by 3 of the abductees.

“Four of them were diagnosed of malaria and are being treated. None of the females was molested and all the females tested negative to pregnancy test,” he said.

One of the rescued victims, Hafsat Ibrahim, thanked God and the government for ensuring their safe return after 207 days in captivity.

Representative of Zamfara government, Mr Ibrahim Anka, commended the efforts of the NSA in coordinating the military and security operations that ensured the safe rescue of the victims.

Anka also commended the Federal Government for the efforts and recent positive improvement in security in the state.