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Tag: gunmen

  • Again, Gunmen Invades Ajaokuta kidnap three Children, Demands N100M Ransom In Kogi

    Again, Gunmen Invades Ajaokuta kidnap three Children, Demands N100M Ransom In Kogi

    From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    Barely seven days that bandits killed three Police Officers and five Vigilantes in Ajaokuta Local Government Area, another group of Kidnappers invaded the town and kidnapped three Children to an unknown destination.

    It was gathered that the incident happened at about 8PM in Kaduna Estate Ajaokuta Steel township complex on Wednesday 3rd/August/2022.

    According to eyewitness, the gunmen who were fully armed shot sporadically to the air to scarce security agencies and neighbours before kidnapping the three Children.

    A family source who wouldn’t like their names mentioned identified the parent of the Children who are within the ages of five, seven and ten as Mr. Kadiri who hail from Edo State.

    The source said the gunmen on Thursday morning contacted the family of their victims demanding for N100Million before they will release the abducted Children.

    Narrating how the incident happened, the source said ” The gunmen came in their numbers fully armed to the house of Mr. Kadiri our brother that sells television, radio and other electronic device in the steel township.

    “They shot countless time to scarce People from coming close. When they could not see their target victim, (Kadiri) they decided to pick the three Children from the house. As we speak, their whereabout is unknown”.

    ” Here in Ajaokuta, we can no longer sleep with our two eyes close. Armed robbery and kidnapping everywhere. Recently, we all saw how innocent Policemen and Vigilantes where killed. Things are already falling apart. No where is safe again”.

    Effort to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO)in Kogi State, William Ovye Aya failed.

    Recalled that, as a result of the insecurity, Governor Yahaya Bello shut down all brothels that harbour criminals, ban facemasks in public places, suspended the traditional ruler and queried the council chairman of Ajaokuta Local Government area.

  • Gunmen Attack Military Checkpoint On Abuja-Kaduna Expressway

    Gunmen Attack Military Checkpoint On Abuja-Kaduna Expressway

    Gunmen on Thursday evening reportedly engaged the military in a gun duel at a checkpoint in Zuma Rock Madalla, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

    It is not yet clear if there were any casualties.

    According to several sources, the incident led to a gridlock on the highway.

    An eyewitness told Channels Television the attack started at about 8pm.

    The police and military authorities were not immediately available to respond to the incident.

    This latest attack on a military installation comes days after bandits attacked a unit of the presidential brigade guards, killing at least three soldiers.

    Details to come…

  • Gunmen Attack Katsina Transport Authority Bus, Kill Driver, Abduct Passengers

    Gunmen Attack Katsina Transport Authority Bus, Kill Driver, Abduct Passengers

    Bandits on Sunday killed a driver with the Katsina State Transport Authority (KTSTA), Nasiru Yusha’u, after the victim’s vehicle ran into the gunmen along the Katsina-Jibia road.

    The terrorists are said to have kidnapped Yushau’s passengers after killing him.

    A resident of Daddara village near the scene of the incident told Channels Television via telephone that the terrorists attacked the vehicle at about twelve noon on Sunday.

    It was gathered that Yusha’u saw the gunmen and attempted to turn around, however, the terrorists caught up with him and shot him fatally.

    After killing the driver on the spot, the terrorists who were operating on motorcycles abducted scores of passengers.

    Some eyewitness say that the thirty-two seater bus loaded with mostly traders was on its way from Jibia Market to Katsina when the terrorists opened-fire on them.

    Meanwhile, the General Manager (GM) of the Katsina State Transport Authority, Haruna Musa Rugoji has confirmed the incident.

    Rugoji noted that the deceased conveyed the passengers he took from Katsina to Jibia. Then, from Jibia also, he took passengers to Katsina and it was on the return trip that the incident took place at Farun Bala.

    “The driver was trying to turn the vehicle with the passengers when he saw the four bandits crossing the road at that particular community. They shot him dead. May be they thought that he would go back and give information.

    “There was no kidnapping intention by the bandits because they didn’t kidnap anybody. They only shot the driver and collected cash and some phones from the passengers. It wasn’t a target.

    “I went to the scene and I was among those that took the corpse from the scene to General Hospital Katsina now to Musawa, the hometown of the deceased, for burial,” the GM disclosed.

    As at the time of filing this report, the State Police Command had not confirmed the incident and all attempts to reach the spokesman of the command proved abortive.

  • Gunmen Open Fire On Commercial Bus In Kogi, Abduct Passengers

    Gunmen Open Fire On Commercial Bus In Kogi, Abduct Passengers

    Passengers of an 18-seater bus have been abducted at Ochonyi-Omoko village along the Abuja-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.

    Benjamin Isaac, a passenger who escaped, said the incident happened around 8:03pm on Wednesday.

    He said the attackers, who hid in the bush opened fire on the bus, deflating the back tyres in the process.

    “They opened fire on back tyres which forced the driver to lose control. When the driver veered off the road, the gunmen came out of hiding and ordered all the passengers to come out. They led us into the bush at gunpoint,” he said.

    He said he managed to escape with some other passengers who ran into the bush.

    Isaac said he boarded the bus by the roadside in Zuba, while travelling to Okpella, Edo State.

    A vigilante member, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the incident, saying he was performing ablution ahead of Isha’i prayers when he heard gunshots.

    “It was immediately after my prayers I reached out to my colleagues and mobilised to the scene, where we discovered a bus abandoned by the roadside without passengers inside,” he said.

    He said he later discovered that some passengers from the bus were abducted.

    He said he and his colleagues were still combing the forest to trace the gunmen and rescue the victims.

    The spokesman of the Kogi State police command, DSP Williams Ovye Ayah, did not respond to calls and a text message sent to him.

  • Again, Gunmen Abduct Two Catholic Priests In Kaduna

    Again, Gunmen Abduct Two Catholic Priests In Kaduna

    Two more priests of the Catholic Church have been kidnapped by bandits in Kaduna State.

    The two priests, Reverend Father John Cheitnum and Reverend Father Donatus Cleopas were reportedly abducted on Friday evening in Jere Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    Their abduction comes less than two weeks after another priest, Reverend Father Emmanuel Silas, was kidnapped by bandits from the parish rectory of Saint Charles Catholic Church, Zamina in Kauru LGA.

    Although the security agencies have yet to confirm the incident, the Chancellor of Kafanchan Catholic Diocese, Reverend Father Emmanuel Okolo, spokes about the abduction.

    In a statement, Okolo that the two priests were kidnapped by bandits at about 5pm on Friday while they were on pastoral duty at the rectory of Christ The King Catholic Church, Yadin Garu.

    The Catholic chancellor prayed for the safe and quick return of the abducted priests and urged members of the Catholic community in Kafanchan to remain law abiding and prayerful.

  • 11 Killed as Gunmen Invade farms in Zamfara community

    11 Killed as Gunmen Invade farms in Zamfara community

    Bandits have killed eleven people in Dangulbi community, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

    It was gathered that the bandits loyal to a notorious kingpin Damina, invaded various farms in the community on Sunday afternoon, July 10, killing 11, with several others unaccounted for.

    Spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, Mohammed Shehu,who confirmed the casualty figure to Channels Television on Monday morning, stated that the police authorities have since deployed a reinforcement team to the area to restore calm and normalcy in the community.

    According to Shehu, the police tactical operatives have begun a confidence-building patrol in the affected community.

    “The one at our disposal is 11 people (killed) and the command has already sent a reinforcement team to the affected community and the reinforcing team has been able to return normalcy in the area. They are currently on confidence-building patrol and there is relative normalcy in that axis,” he stated.

    Meanwhile, locals who spoke to Channels TV lamented that Dangulbi and surrounding communities have been experiencing a series of attacks by bandits in the last few days.

    Saifullahi Ibrahim, a resident of Maru LGA, said the notorious bandit demanded a sum of N2million levy from the community in order to allow them to cultivate their farmland in the rainy season, adding that the people did as requested.

    “The wave of attacks on our communities started about three days ago when a bandit kingpin called Damina asked our people to pay N2 million to him to allow them to cultivate their lands,” he narrated.

    According to Ibrahim, Kango which is another village just about 2km away from Dangulbi was attacked last Friday and seven persons were reportedly killed.

    “He (Damina) attacked Kango village, a 2km settlement away from Dangulbi, and killed seven people. Then yesterday (Sunday), in the afternoon, he proceeded to Dangulbi environs when people were on their farms working. They (the terrorists) rounded them up and 14 people were confirmed killed on their various farms and some (persons) are missing.”

    The resident identified some of the victims as Lawali Yusuf, Basiru Bakwai, Murtala, Ashiru Suleman, Dayyabu Adamu, Sufiyanu Sani, and Kamalu Sani, among others

  • Gunmen Attack Akwa Ibom NYSC Lodge Steals Valuables, Rape Female Corpers

    Gunmen Attack Akwa Ibom NYSC Lodge Steals Valuables, Rape Female Corpers

    Gunmen on Wednesday invaded the National Youth Service Scheme Corpers’ lodge located along Udo Ekong Ekwere street, off Information Drive in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and raped women occupants.

    It was gathered that the gunmen who stormed the area by 1 am that on tricycles carted away valuables including laptops, cell phones and cash.

    Some of the corps members who spoke with newsmen the following morning lamented that there was no help anywhere during the attack despite the cry for help.

    One of the corp members who identified himself as Emeka Emmanuel said, “They arrived on a tricycle, popularly called Keke and immediately started operation. They beamed high-intensity torchlight everywhere and pounced on every door with heavy iron and threatened to shoot us if we fail to cooperate”.

    A female Corps member, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, while fighting back tears, said her phones, laptop, cash were forcefully taken away from her after the hoodlums gained entrance into her room from the back door.

    “You know at that period of the night, most of us females, we used to sleep naked and the suddenness of the attack caught us unprepared. They beamed the torch through the window and threatened to shoot if the door is not quickly opened,” she explained.

    “I have never heard of this anywhere in Nigeria, even in the North, where insecurity is at the highest peak, that Corpers could be deliberately targeted, raped, and robbed by criminals at gunpoint. Is it because we are not from Akwa Ibom that no one could hear our shouts and come to save us?”, another female colleague, lamented.

    Mr. Nsikak Ibanga, a night guard at the State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists which is located opposite the corpers lodge said, “I raised alarm by hitting the supporting pillars holding the reconstructed NUJ auditorium,” adding that “the sound reverberated across the whole area but no response”.

    Another neighbour, Bassey Offiong, said, “When I heard the attack and the outcry of the Corpers, I quickly reached out to the Police at Ikot Akpanabia Command, which is very close here, but they arrived a little late after the criminals had finished and left with their tricycle”.

    Also, the Youth Leader of the area, Comrade Godwin Okpo, blamed incessant criminal activities around communities on the collapse of internal security organized by the local residents.

    “I used to go round from house to house to collect monetary contributions for the vigilante group to secure the area at night, but suddenly they started accusing me of embezzling their money, so there was nothing I could do again.

    He added, “When I heard the incident late in the night around 1:00 am this morning, I moved to the place but since I was alone, there was nothing I could do”, he said.

    He blamed the inability of the youth to come out on noise of generators running into late night in most homes.

    “I have told them that once it’s midnight, they should put off their generators so we can hear what’s happening in the neighborhoods,” he stressed.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, said he was yet to be fully briefed on the incident, adding that he would investigate and get back to our correspondent

    He said, “I don’t have any information about the incident but I will find out and get across to you”.

  • Unknown Gunmen Abduct Naval Officer in Kogi

    Unknown Gunmen Abduct Naval Officer in Kogi

    From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    A Naval staff of Naval Headquarters Abuja, Mr Musa Lawal was said to have been kidnapped by unknown Gunmen in Lokoja, Kogi state capital.

    Eye witness said he was kidnapped in Lokoja at his residence, behind Post Flood Housing Estate, Lokoja at about 8 pm on Monday after they destroyed his doors and windows.

    Sources close to the family said the Naval staff was to depart for his station this morning before the unfortunate incidence.
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    It was gathered that an hour after the kidnap, the kidnappers had called, demanding for the sum of #3 million naira.

    The wife of the kidnapped naval staff, Mrs. Juliana Musa who narrated her ordeal, said one of the hands was cut and taken away with bleeding.

    All efforts to confirm from the police headquarters could not yield fruitful results as PPRO William Aya could not be reached as the time of filing the report.

  • BREAKING: Gunmen Kidnap Another Catholic Priest In Kaduna

    BREAKING: Gunmen Kidnap Another Catholic Priest In Kaduna

    Another priest of the Catholic Church, has been kidnapped by bandits in Kauru local government area of Kaduna State.

    The victim, Reverend Father Emmanuel Silas was kidnapped from the parish rectory of Saint Charles Catholic Church, Zambina in Kauru Local Government within the early hours of Monday.

    The incident comes less than two weeks after the priest in charge of the Kaduna Polytechnic Catholic community, Reverend Father Vitus Borogo was killed on his farm at Kujama in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The police are yet to comment on the development, but the Chancellor of Kafanchan Catholic Diocese , Reverend Father Emmanuel Okolo, confirmed the incident, saying that they were able to know about the incident when the priest did not show up for the early morning mass on Monday.

    He, however, solicits the prayers for the immediate and safe release of the Kidnapped priest, saying that the Catholic Community will use all available legal means to ensure the release of the kidnapped Reverend Father.

  • Gunmen Kidnap Two Catholic Priests In Edo

    Gunmen Kidnap Two Catholic Priests In Edo

    Gunmen have kidnapped two Catholic priests in Edo State, amid the continued abduction of clergymen in the country.

    Police authorities in the state have confirmed the incident which occurred on Saturday night around Ehor and Iruekpen communities along the Benin-Auchi Expressway.

    In a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Edo, Chidi Nwabuzor, identified the victims as Reverend Father Udo Peter of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Uromi, and Reverend Father Philemon Oboh of St. Joseph Retreat Centre, Ugboha in Esan South East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    Barely a week before the incident, Channels Television reported the abduction and subsequent killing of Reverend Father Christopher Odia of St. Michael Catholic Church, lkhabigbo in Etsako LGA of Edo State.

    He was abducted from his rectory last Sunday while he was on his way to conduct a mass for worshippers at the parish.

    But the clergyman was later killed by his abductors out of frustration during a fire exchange with security operatives who were on a rescue mission.

    Nwabuzor, while narrating the latest incident, said one Reverend Father Amos Abhulimen of St. Dominic Catholic Church, Ugboha informed the police of the abduction of his colleagues.

    According to him, the Commissioner of Police Edo, Abutu Yaro, has dispatched security operatives to the area with a view to rescuing the clergymen and arresting the kidnappers.