NEWS
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THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 16, 2014
100 killed in Kaduna villages
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ADUNA State was all mourning yesterday after yet another orgy of violence unleashed by marauders suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. No fewer than 100 people died in the latest massacre in Ugwar Sankwai, Ungwar Gata and Chenshyi villages all in Bondon district, Southern Kaduna, late Friday by the gunmen. The victims were given mass burial at about 4.15pm yesterday. Communities in southern Kaduna have under repeated attacks from gunmen in the last two years with many people killed and property including farmland destroyed. Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State denounced the latest attack as ungodly and barbaric. The attackers were said to have invaded the three villages, one after the other at about 11.30pm shooting and setting houses ablaze. Villagers who tried to run for their lives were either gunned down or matcheted. One of the survivors, Nuhu Moses from Chenshyi village put the number of the attackers at 40. They were armed with guns, knives and other weapons, he said. He said over 50 people were killed at Chenshyi alone. Moses said “there is no house standing. All the houses were burnt by the attackers while people who attempted to run were gunned down. I was just lucky to have escaped, but our Pastor’s wife, and kids were among the people that were butchered.” A resident of Ungwar Sankwai, Jonathan Bako said he did not know how he managed to escape. Speaking with The Nation by phone, the President of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), Dr. Ephraim Goje said the attack was one too many. He renewed the union’s call on the federal government to establish a military post in the area. He challenged government to take urgent steps to address the situation and protect the people of the area from extinction, while asking both the federal and state governments to provide relief materials to those affected by the incident.
From Tony Akowe, Kaduna
Governor Yero expressed deep sadness and shock over the unwarranted attacks on innocent citizens of the state. He assured the victims of government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of the entire people of the state and called on people in the communities to remain calm as government is already working with security agencies towards scaling up its strategies in order to improve security, especially in border communities. The governor noted that constant attack on innocent community was unacceptable, saying that government will step up efforts to improve surveillance and curtail future occurrence. The governor who vowed to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice ordered full investigation into the attack and promised to empower community surveillance by vigilance groups in areas that have become prone to such ugly violence, to complement formal security arrangements towards forestalling reoccurrence.
He prayed that God should expose the ‘merchants of darkness’, who are bent on sowing seeds of confusion and hate in the state, saying “We pray that God should expose the people that are causing this problem. We pray that God should touch their hearts to stop such dastardly acts or destroy their evil machinations.” Vice Chairman of the Local government Daniel Anyip said countless homes were set ablaze, saying “From our records, in all the three villages attacked, only five houses are standing while people killed are about 100. These are villages that housed a lot of people but they are now homeless,” he said. Anyip who is overseeing the local government however told journalists in southern Kaduna that two of those killed were attackers identified to be Fulani resident in one of the villages in the area. The member representing Kaura Local Government in the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Bityong, who visited the scene of the attack condemned the massacre, describing it as satanic, barbaric and condemnable by right think-
ing persons. The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the Local Government, Rev. Isa Goar, condemned the attack and asked the people of the area to remain calm. The Kaduna State Police Command Spokesman, Aminu Lawan said security men had been mobilised to the area. Reacting to the development, the Southern Kaduna Indigenes Progressive Forum (SKIPFo) described the attack as barbaric, pointing out that the attack has further exposed government’s insensitivity to the plight of the people of the area. Its chairman, Major George Asake (rtd) accused government of failing to take action on the killings taking place in the area despite advise and protest, saying “we are living in a state of anarchy and we will do everything possible to take the government to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to answer charges on the massive killings of our people on a daily basis. It is very painful and difficult that we keep mourning everyday without the government doing any-
thing about it”. Also reacting to the massacre, the Centrum Initiative for Development and Rights Advocacy (CEDRA) renewed its earlier call on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in southern Kaduna. Spokesman of the group, John Danfulani in a statement said that the incessant attacks in the area were gradual genocide and extinction. He called for a state of emergency in Southern Kaduna to stem the violence. He said: “It is clear that Kaduna state government and their agents are only playing politics with the insecurity ravaging Southern Kaduna region. We will also not shy away from stating the obvious that Kaduna state government has failed and only playing double standard, so also security agencies operating in the state. “It is abundantly clear that the elders and elected representatives from Southern Kaduna are less concerned due to their political expediencies. They should know that posterity will judge them and they have began journey into political wilderness as blood of our helpless villagers is on their heads”.
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Jonathan resident in his home state of Bayelsa are now living in fear following the recent abduction of Chief Inengite Nitabai, the President’s foster father, by kidnappers. Nitabai was rescued last week by security operatives after three weeks in the den of his abductors who demanded N500million ransom.. Many of the President’s relations believe that they are being targeted by armed gangs of kidnappers who have laid siege to Ogbia, the local government area of the President.
By Vincent Ohonbamu, Gombe
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OMBE State Police Command says it has arrested an armed robbery kingpin who specializes in snatching cars at gunpoint. Spokesman for the Command, DSP Fwaje Atajiri said the suspect had been elusive in five neighbouring states before he was caught in Gombe. He said that three vehicles (two Golf III cars and a Honda Civic saloon) were recovered from the suspect. The PPRO also said an imposter, Ishaya Yila who has been parading himself as a policeman, harassing innocent citizens and policemen alike has also been arrested in the state. He said his arrest came as a result of him going to one of their stations to harass and intimidate policemen over securing the release of a suspect connected with miscreants who harass young ladies and dispossess them of their belongings. “Because of his attitude, the junior police officers there believe that a senior police officer couldn’t have gone out of his ways to insult a junior one, therefore, they demanded to know him more. And through the interrogation, it was discovered that he was not a policeman.
‘Ensure votes count in Ekiti, Osun elections’
From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado Ekiti
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• L-R: Etsu Nupe, HRH Alh. (Dr.) Yahaya Abubakar, CFR, and Hon. Abdumalik Dagaci Cheche, Vice Chairman, House Committee on Culture & Tourism, at the opening of the maiden edition of Nupe Art Conference/Exhibition in Bida, Niger State recently.
Kidnapping: Fear grips Jonathan’s relations ELATIONS of President Goodluck
Police arrest robbery kingpin in Gombe
From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa
Their fears were raised after another gang of kidnappers made an attempt on Thursday to abduct one Madam Patience Agbani,a cousin of the President. The move was foiled by the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield. Speaking to reporters in Yenagoa, Agbani who is said to be related to the mother of President Jonathan, said:”I am scared because l feel that my life is in danger.” She said she had escaped two attempts by different gangs of criminals to abduct her.
The first attempt, according to her, involved six masked men three weeks ago while the latest incident last Wednesday involved two men. Narrating how she escaped before JTF came to her rescue, she said: “After l closed from my shop, l noticed that two persons were following me. When l crossed the road, they stared at me. “When l moved, they moved and when l stopped they stopped. So, l started watching them. I moved again, they moved. Then l became afraid. “I turned and started going back then they
started pursuing me. I ran and hid in an uncompleted building. But they ran across the building. Agbani, 35, said she later called JTF operatives in the area for help. “After the first incident, I collected the telephone number of the JTF in my area. When this one happened, l quickly called them.” Also, a source close to Jonathan’s family said members of the President were discussing measures to personally secure themselves from the prying eyes of kidnappers. He said though recent incidents had led to tight-
ening of security in Otuoke and other Ogbia communities, it is necessary for key members of the family to personally secure themselves. But the Commissioner Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, said the police had mapped out strategies to stop kidnapping in the state. Opara had on Thursday called for security meeting involving all stakeholders in Ogbia local government areas. Traditional rulers, chairmen of the eight local government areas, chairmen of community development committees and youth leaders attended the security meeting.
TAKEHOLDERS at a oneday training programme for observers in the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise in Ekiti State have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the efforts of voters are not wasted in the coming elections in Ekiti and Osun States. The training, which was attended by political parties and civil society organisations, was organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Democratic Governance for Development Project (UNDP/DGD ll). In an interaction with journalists, the National Chairman of Peoples Progressives Alliance (PPA), Comrade Peter Ameh, clarified that the expectations of Nigerians were that Ekiti and Osun State Elelctions should be free, fair and credible. Lamenting that democracy was yet to engender development in the country, Ameh said the training programme would strengthen democracy in the country. He said, “INEC should wake up and do the right thing in Ekiti and Osun to ensure that people have confidence in the electoral process.” In a welcome address, the representative of UNDP, Mr. Zikrullah Ibrahim, said the organisation attached much importance to the continuous registration exercise. Ibrahim said, “Ekiti election should be given every attention; we want to add value and credibility to what is happening in Ekiti,” noting, “We believe before we go to the field, it is necessary for the observers to know what to do on the field.”