By Ibe Pascal
More than 50 Nigerians have been killed in the first five days of the new 2024 by terrorists, bandits and gunmen mainly in the northern region of the country.
On the January 1, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa said he will rid communities that have been stifled of insurgents and bandits.
General Musa made this declaration on Channels Television maiden episode of The Morning Brief on Monday , where he called for support from the public to meet this goal.
“We are working with the state government to identify these areas, this year God willing we will make sure bandits hold no community,” he said.
“Members of the community will be able to leave the IDP camps and be able to go there”
Despite this promise by Chief of Defence, terrorists and bandits resumed Killings and abductions across the country on the following day.
The killings and abductions in the first week took place in Plateau, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna , Katsina and others
The nation is yet to heal from a Christmas Eve attack by marauding assailants on Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas t in Plateau that left 2 00 people dead and hundreds more injured.
Repeated attacks on the region in the space of days have left many disillusioned with the efforts of security personnel at tackling the growing crisis, which General Musa says collaborative efforts are the only feasible means of ending acts of terror in the region.
Boko Haram Kills 12, Abducts 1 In Borno
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists in military uniform on Tuesday killed 12 persons and abducted one in Gatamarwa and Tsiha communities in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest attack came barely two weeks after the insurgents perpetrated a similar attack in Chibok, where they killed two persons and looted food stuff in some houses before settling them ablaze.
The Police Public Relations officer, Borno State command, ASP Nahum Daso Kenneth, confirmed the attack saying 12 corpses were recovered.
Kidnapped Nasarawa LG Chair, others released after N10m ransom
The kidnapped chairman of Akwanga Local Government Council in Nasarawa State, Safiyanu Isah Andaha, has regained freedom on Wednesday after payment of N10m ransom.
The council Chairman was released alongside his friend, Adamu Custom and two other victims held by their abductors along Akwanga-Andaha road after payment of 10 million naira ransom to secure their release.
Gunmen kill four in Nasarawa supermarket,
About four armed men reportedly attacked the supermarket and killed four customers in a supermarket in One Man Village, near Mararaba, in the Karu Local Government Area of the state.
The incident was said to have happened around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
In the video, immediately after the incident, a voice was heard saying that one of the deceased individuals possessed an identity card belonging to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Chief Imam, Okada rider killed in another Plateau attack
Malam Muhammad Sani Idris, the Chief Imam of the Jumma’at Mosque in Ndun village, Tangur District, Bokkos local government area of Plateau state, and Muhammad Gambo, an okada rider, have both been killed on Wednesday
The attack was confirmed by Garba Abdullahi, the chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN) on Wednesday, January 3.
He stated that Salisu Muhammad Sani Idris, the younger brother of the deceased Imam, sustained injuries during the attack and was undergoing treatment at Dung Hospital located in Bokkos town.
Suspected herdsmen kidnap eight people in Port Harcourt
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen kidnapped about eight persons in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The kidnappers struck around the Port Harcourt International Airport Roundabout, Omuagwa and whisked away the said number of people.
The incident happened on Tuesday evening along the Obiri-Ikwerre-Airport Road.
It was gathered that the criminals had blocked the left flank of the road from the airport – about five minutes’ drive away from the airport roundabout.
Boko Haram Kills 2 Loggers
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed two loggers in a bush around Dure/Wala communities, in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, confirmed that the incident took place on Tuesday.
He said the terrorists ambushed the loggers who went to fetch wood around Dure-wale and mandara mountain area.
Suspected Boko Haram Insurgents Kill Pastor, Five Others In Yobe State
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents killed Pastor Luka Levong of the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in Kwari, Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe state. The attackers also killed five others.
Some residents who evacuated the corpses to the Specialist Hospital Geidam told Channels Television that the attackers invaded the community around 2: 00 am on Friday and shot the pastor and his church treasurer Maina Abdullahi.
According to them, the other victims were also killed in their separate houses one after the other before the arrival of the security men, while many houses including one church and vehicles were also set ablaze.
Bandits Abduct 7 Family Members, Shoot Policemen In FCT
On Friday, two policemen sustained bullet injuries, while seven family members have been abducted as bandits intensify attacks on Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Daily trust gathered that a middle-aged man, simply identified as Alhaji, who led policemen to foil the kidnapping of the seven family members, was shot dead by the bandits.
Terrorists kill six traders in Katsina
No fewer than six traders lost their lives on Friday when their convoy of vehicles ran into bandits in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The traders were travelling from Maidabino village to participate in a weekly market located at Yantumaki.
The two villages are within Danmusa Local Government Area.
Residents revealed that the traders always travel in convoys because of the security situation in the council.
17 dead, 58 abducted as terrorists invade three communities in Kaduna
Terrorists struck Kaduna, as no fewer than 17 people were killed, while 58 were feared kidnapped in an operation that lasted for 6 hours after the gunmen invaded three communities at Dawaki Ward in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
A former Councilor of the Ward, Aminu Khalid, disclosed this in an interview with Journalists, saying that the three Villages affected included Ungwan Sako, Kunkurai, and Dokan Kaji Village.
According to him, some of the locals were able to rescue 20 Villagers in a gun duel, but 9 Villagers lost their lives in the process.
He said 34 of the locals are still in their custody after the attack on Tuesday night, as contact is yet to be established with the terrorists.
But President Tinubu says Service Chiefs doing well
In all of these, addressing security chiefs and heads of intelligence agencies at a Presidential Security Briefing at the State House, in Abuja, on Friday, President Tinubu said while good progress is being made with the elimination of some security threats across multiple theatres, success will ultimately be defined by a final conclusion to the multi-dimensional menace.
He said the success Service Chiefs are recording is undeniable. “Nigerians are seeing it, but the avoidable errors, as witnessed recently in Kaduna, are unacceptable and cannot be repeated. I am pleased that coordination between all agencies has dramatically improved over recent months, but there is no room for celebrations until we can end this; until we can bring our troops back to their own localities, and until we can free up resources for our critical economic expansion programme,” the President firmly stated.
Tnubu asked the the security chiefs to ensure that there is conclusive victory against the myriad of security threats facing the country.
Insecurity Has Gone Beyond Control – Bode George
A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has lamented the security situation in the country, saying that it has gone beyond control.
He said the situation the country is in at the moment has gone beyond playing politics, adding that President Tinubu has a lot of work to do and Nigerians are ready to give him time.
“The state of our nation has been completely in a shambolic situation, it is perpetual despair and despondency. There is hunger in the land and there is anger in the land; the insecurity has gone beyond control,” Chief George said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.
Insecurity: Ned Nwoko proposes bill for Nigerians to own guns
The need for Nigerian citizens to bear arms in the face of the prevailing insecurity across the country has been stressed by the senator representing Delta North at the red chamber of the national assembly, Senator Ned Nwoko.
He expressed concern over the ugly trend however emphasised that the initiative to permit firearm ownership should be accompanied by stringent regulations and comprehensive training.
“This approach ensures that firearms are in the hands of responsible individuals who understand the gravity of such ownership and are equipped to handle these weapons safely,” Nwoko said in a statement made available to newsmen in Asaba.
According to him, his bill on self-defence and firearms ownership regulation, currently listed in the Senate awaits its first reading adding that the topic has gained national significance, sparking diverse opinions and discussions that predominantly fall into two camps – one in opposition and the other in support.
