*12 special taskforce men killed, others injured by ISWAP in Niger LG
John Shiklam in Kaduna and Laleye Dipo in Minna
Ten people have been, reportedly, killed by bandits in an attack on Atak Mawai village, Zaman Dabo ward, in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The bandits also burned several houses during the attack said to have occurred in the early hours of Sunday.
A resident of the community, who pleaded anonymity for fear of being attacked, said the bandits invaded the community about 3am when the villagers were asleep. He said the villagers were woken up by the sound of gunshots and started running helter-skelter, adding that those killed were burnt in their houses.
He said, “The bandits came around 3am when the people were asleep. They were shooting sporadically as they went from house to house setting houses ablaze.
“We are yet to ascertain the exact number of people killed because many people ran to the bushes, but I can confirm that 10 people were burnt to death in their homes.”
He said by the time security personnel arrived the community the bandits had fled.
Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammed Jalige, could not be reached for comments, as his mobile telephone was switched off when contacted.
Meanwhile, in Niger State, not less than 12 members of the special task force deployed to repel insurgents in Galadima Kogo town in the Shiroro local government were killed last Saturday, when the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) invaded the village.
More than a dozen of the special task force personnel also suffered varying degrees of injury following the attack. It was the first time ISWAP members would be accused of being behind the attacks on communities in the Shiroro and Munya local governments, where previous invasions had been blamed on gunmen or bandits.
According to reports from the area, which were confirmed by Co-convener of the Concerned Shiroro Youths, Yussuf Abubakar Kokki, several villagers were either seriously injured or killed by the rampaging ISWAP members while herds of cattle earlier recovered from rustlers were again rustled by the invaders.
It was gathered that the ISWAP members stormed the community in broad daylight with over 50 of them riding on motorcycles and carrying AK47 rifles.
After invading the camps of the Special Task Force it was learnt that the marauders set several houses and bans on fire before escaping.
Kokki, who confirmed the incident to THISDAY yesterday, blamed the ability of the ISWAP men to easily raid the community on the closure of the military camp in the area and the redeployment of the security personnel to Kontagora axis, where insurgency had been on the rise in recent times.
He stated, “The Concerned Shiroro Youths of Niger State totally and unequivocally frown and condemn in strongest term the outright withdrawal of security personnel from Galadima Kogo, Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, and subsequent deployment of same to Kontagora.”
Kokki added, “This decision taken by government, notwithstanding the accompanying reasons, is reckless and insensitive in its entirety, especially to the plights of innocent and unarmed law abiding citizens already ravaged by incessant insecurity.”
He lamented the way the government treated security issues with “crass levity, complete negligence and carelessness and kid gloves,” pointing out, “The end to this monster (insecurity) is still a super story as permanent, lasting and sustainable solution is not yet in sight!”
Neither the police nor the state government had responded to this latest incident as at press time.
