By Suleiman Umaru
In spite of the message by President Muammadu Buhari urging Nigerians ‘‘to set aside their differences and Celebrate the Love and joy that Christmas bring’’ , the Bandits Group, struck in Malagun and Sokwong, a predominantly Christian Communities in Kaura Local government Area of Kaduna state on Friday, December 24, 2022, eve of the Christmas, killing 37 residents who were said to have been given mass burial by the state government earlier in the week amidst tears.
The attack on the two Kaura LGA Communities, according to informed sources is coming five days after the killer armed herdsmen gathered their Community into a farm allegedly owned by one Cletus Dunia, in Apak Village, a subunit of Kagoro, and shot him dead at a close range and fled with the cattles into an unknown location.
The Malagun and Sokwong attackers were said to have also burnt down several houses, farmlands and other valuables in the two Communities and escaped into the bush with little or no resistance. There are indications that the Friday attack was carried out by armed herdsmen in collaboration with the Bandits gang operating in the Kaura LGA.
The worry of many was that that the armed herdsmen and Bandits had penetrated the two Kaura LGA, Communities despite the tight security that had been mounted by the security agencies personnel , particular, the Nigerian Police Force, NPF and officers of the Nigerian Army ,1 Division, under the close watch of Maj.Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who had succeeded Maj. Gen. Kabir Muktar.
Until his redeploment to another Army Division, Maj. Gen. Murktar had said that he did his best which may not have been enough to tackle the security challenges within Kaura LGA and other flash pont areas in Kaduna state. .
This may have informed why Julius Kude, the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan, in his sermon, had blamed the government for the attack , saying that ‘’it has failed to discharge its Constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and Property of Citizens’’. This may have informed why the Clergyman had urged the people ‘’to demand Justice from the government’’.
Recall that inn March 20, 2022, residents of Agban Kagoro Community in Kaura, LGA, had unexpected regular visitors bearing arms and matchets, with Jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular, Petrol , meaning that the attacks on Kaura Communities by the armed herdsmen and the Bandits are a regular occurrence.
Luka Binniyat, spokesperson of Southern Kaduna People’s Union, SOKAPU, had said the security situation in Kaura and other parts of Southern Kaduna are not getting any better. He had said that the invasion of Communities is getting worse and the security Operatives have no answer to it.
Binniyat, had said that between 2014 and now, no fewer than 38 villages in Malagum 1 and Broni Prono, Communities in Kaura LGA, alone , had been brutally attacked by the armed herdsmen and their Bandits Collaborators and no arrests made by the security agencies personnel who are everywhere in the LGA.
The Union , according to informed sources was said to have sent a message to Nair El-Rufai, the state governor that the people of Kaura LGA, if pushed to the wall might resort to self-defence if nothing is done urgently to address the insecurity situation. The Leadership of SOKAPU, were said to have reported to the security agencies personnel in the area based on reports from the villagers of the gathering of strange herdsmen , believed to from Niger Republic, coming from different directions on motorbikes to camp in a nearby bush before the recent attack in Malagun and Sokwong Communities in the Kauara LGA, but the security Operatives did nothing to contain this glaring potential threat to security until the damage was done.
In a related development, soldiers attached to Operation Forest Sanity, OFS, in Kaduna tate, were said to have killed 10 Bandits in separate attacks in Chikun, Birnin Gwari and Giwa LGA Areas of the state. Samuel Aruwan, the state Commissioner for Internal Security ad Home Affairs, who had disclosed this on Friday, that that armed herdsmen with their Bandits Collaborrators attacke two Kaura Communitis had said that the troops made contact with the bandits and killed 10 of them.
The Commissioner had said that the OFS troops recovered four motorcyles and three mobile phones from the Bandits Group Criminal gang. But the troops on Patrol in the Chikun and Birni Gwari General Areas, who were said to have laid an ambush were said to have recovered six motorcycles belonging to the Bandits operating in the Area.
The OFS clearance Operation along the Sabon Birnin – Maidro- Dogon Dawa –Galadimawa Kidandan –Fatika axes was aid to have also yielded results. The OFS Troops were said to have recovered one ak47 rifle, two Magazines loaded with 52 rounds, six motorcycles and three mobile phones.
The Troops were said to have also dislodged the Bandits’ Camps around Garke and Gsladimawa Commuities in Giwa LGA, recovering two dane guns, two Magazines, some military uniforms and nine motorcycles .That may not have topped the Bandits, who are working closely with the armed herdsmen from carrying out their attacks in the flash point LGAs Communities in Kaduna state in the recent time.
By Suleiman Umaru
In spite of the message by President Muammadu Buhari urging Nigerians ‘‘to set aside their differences and Celebrate the Love and joy that Christmas bring’’ , the Bandits Group, struck in Malagun and Sokwong, a predominantly Christian Communities in Kaura Local government Area of Kaduna state on Friday, December 24, 2022, eve of the Christmas, killing 37 residents.
The attack on the two Kaura LGA Communities, according to informed sources is coming five days after the killer armed herdsmen gathered their Community into a farm allegedly owned by one Cletus Dunia, in Apak Village, a subunit of Kagoro, and shot him dead at a close range and fled with the cattles into an unknown location.
The Malagun and Sokwong attackers were said to have also burnt down several houses, farmlands and other valuables in the two Communities and escaped into the bush with little or no resistance. There are indications that the Friday attack was carried out by armed herdsmen in collaboration with the Bandits gang operating in the Kaura LGA.
The worry of many was that that the armed herdsmen and Bandits had penetrated the two Kaura LGA, Communities despite the tight security that had been mounted by the security agencies personnel , particular, the Nigerian Police Force, NPF and officers of the Nigerian Army ,1 Division, under the close watch of Maj.Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who had succeeded Maj. Gen. Kabir Muktar.
Until his redeployment to another Army Division, Maj. Gen. Murktar had said that he did his best which may not have been enough to tackle the security challenges within Kaura LGA and other flash point areas in Kaduna state. .
This may have informed why Julius Kude, the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan, in his sermon, had blamed the government for the attack , saying that ‘’it has failed to discharge its Constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and Property of Citizens’’. This may have informed why the Clergyman had urged the people ‘’to demand Justice from the government’’.
Recall that inn March 20, 2022, residents of Agban Kagoro Community in Kaura, LGA, had unexpected regular visitors bearing arms and matchets, with Jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular, Petrol , meaning that the attacks on Kaura Communities by the armed herdsmen and the Bandits are a regular occurrence.
Luka Binniyat, spokesperson of Southern Kaduna People’s Union, SOKAPU, had said the security situation in Kaura and other parts of Southern Kaduna are not getting any better. He had said that the invasion of Communities is getting worse and the security Operatives have no answer to it.
Binniyat, had said that between 2014 and now, no fewer than 38 villages in Malagum 1 and Broni Prono, Communities in Kaura LGA, alone , had been brutally attacked by the armed herdsmen and their Bandits Collaborators and no arrests made by the security agencies personnel who are everywhere in the LGA.
The Union , according to informed sources was said to have sent a message to Nair El-Rufai, the state governor that the people of Kaura LGA, if pushed to the wall might resort to self-defence if nothing is done urgently to address the insecurity situation. The Leadership of SOKAPU, were said to have reported to the security agencies personnel in the area based on reports from the villagers of the gathering of strange herdsmen , believed to from Niger Republic, coming from different directions on motorbikes to camp in a nearby bush before the recent attack in Malagun and Sokwong Communities in the Kauara LGA, but the security Operatives did nothing to contain this glaring potential threat to security until the damage was done.
In a related development, soldiers attached to Operation Forest Sanity, OFS, in Kaduna state, were said to have killed 10 Bandits in separate attacks in Chikun, Birnin Gwari and Giwa LGA Areas of the state. Samuel Aruwan, the state Commissioner for Internal Security ad Home Affairs, who had disclosed this on Friday, that that armed herdsmen with their Bandits Collaborators attacke two Kaura Communities had said that the troops made contact with the bandits and killed 10 of them.
The Commissioner had said that the OFS troops recovered four motorcyles and three mobile phones from the Bandits Group Criminal gang. But the troops on Patrol in the Chikun and Birni Gwari General Areas, who were said to have laid an ambush were said to have recovered six motorcycles belonging to the Bandits operating in the Area.
The OFS clearance Operation along the Sabon Birnin – Maidro- Dogon Dawa –Galadimawa Kidandan –Fatika axes was aid to have also yielded results. The OFS Troops were said to have recovered one ak47 rifle, two Magazines loaded with 52 rounds, six motorcycles and three mobile phones.
The Troops were said to have also dislodged the Bandits’ Camps around Garke and Gsladimawa Commuities in Giwa LGA, recovering two dane guns, two Magazines, some military uniforms and nine motorcycles .That may not have topped the Bandits, who are working closely with the armed herdsmen from carrying out their attacks in the flash point LGAs Communities in Kaduna state in the recent time.
