Defence/Security

Gunmen kidnap 2 people in Kubwa

Published

4 years ago

May 26, 2021

Gunmen have kidnapped two people from their houses in Byazhin, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The armed men, who stormed the hilly area close to the Lottery Quarters and few metres away from Living Faith Church at Byazhin in Kubwa, abducted a man identified as Mr Ayodele Somorin before they whisked away his neighbour, Mr Oladimeji Josiah.

A resident, who simply identified himself as Segun, told our correspondent, on Wednesday.

He said the men, who were abducted about five days ago, were still at the kidnappers’ den.

“Last week Friday, the gunmen were in this area around 11:45pm. Although I went for a church vigil, my wife and children were at home.

“My wife said earlier before the attack, she saw two people around a neighbour’s house through the window but she thought they were residents who were trying to store the rain water because it showered that night.

“However, after they broke into the first house and took away Somorin, they went to the second house where they shot sporadically before kidnapping Mr Josiah.

“When they entered the third house, unfortunately for them, nobody was at home but they upturned everything in the house in their search,” Segun narrated.

He said though the kidnappers did not enter his house, his wife was yet to recover from the shock as one of the bullets entered his house through one of his windows.

“I thank God nobody was hit by the bullet,” he said.

He said the armed men demanded for N10 million ransom each to free the abductees.

When our correspondent visited the families of the victims, their wives, in separate chats, narrated their experiences.

For Victoria, Somorife, last Friday was a day to remember.

“We were already asleep when they came. We woke up when the gunmen started banging the entrance door, shouting: ‘Open the door.’

“We locked ourselves in the toilet together with the children. When they gained access into the sitting room, they headed to the toilet forcing the door opened.

“About seven of them, armed with guns, ordered us to come out and sit down in the sitting room, while others were outside flashing powerful torch-lights. They said they did not come to hurt us,” she said.

Victoria said that the gunmen ransacked the house, made away with their money, laptop, phones, shoes, body creams and food stuff.

“My husband was then ordered to put on his footwear and they took him away,” she said.

She said she became cold when she began to hear gunshots as soon as they went to her neighbour’s residence.

Victoria said the matter was reported at the Byazhin Police Station the next day, Saturday, May 22, and that the police officers had visited the scene.

“The police told us that our husbands were kidnapped and that they will call us,” she said.

She said the kidnappers, who had since been communicating with them, initially asked for a N10 million ransom each.

On her part, Oyinlola, Josiah’s wife said she was unaware that the armed men were in the surroundings until they began to break the burglar- proof iron gate into their sitting room, shooting randomly.

“My husband told me and my children to go and hide in the toilet. When they forcefully entered, they started beating my husband, shouting: ‘Where is your yaro.’

“They did not come to the toilet even though the door was unlocked. They then took my husband away.

“They also went with some money, my two phones, one of my children’s phones, their school bags, two breads which I bought at N500 each, clothes, etc, before they went to the third house where they met nobody,” she said.

She said although they demanded N10 million on each abductee at first, they lowered it to N5 million for each before they asked them to pay N1 million ransom each.

Oyinlola, who said no fewer than 10 bullets were picked on the ground after the assailants left, corroborated Victoria’s statement that the case was reported at the Byazhin Police Station.

The mother of three prayed for the safe returns of her husband.

When our correspondent visited the Byazhin Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO, Suleiman Yakubu, said he was not in the position to speak to journalist on such issues.

“We don’t talk to the press, whatever information you have, you can channel it through our Police PRO, FCT Command,” he said.

However, the Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, Mariam Yusuf, confirmed the incident to our correspondent in a telephone interview.

She said the police has launched an operation with the view to rescuing the victims unhurt.

“We have launched a strategic operation to rescue the victims unhurt and are trailing the suspects,” Yusuf said.

Defence/Security

Herdsmen Kill Three in Fresh Benue Attack, Residents Block Highway in Protest

Published

2 hours ago

August 11, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

Residents of Yelwata, Benue State, on Monday blocked the Makurdi–Abuja federal highway to protest the killing of three people in an early morning attack by suspected armed herdsmen.

Sources told Chronicle NG that the assailants invaded the community around 7 a.m., shooting indiscriminately. Three people were killed and three others injured.

In anger, residents placed the victims’ bodies on the road, halting traffic and preventing vehicles from passing.

Community youth leader Achii Mathias said, “The Fulanis again attacked our community this morning around 7 a.m., shooting sporadically. They killed three people and injured three others. As I speak, the Security Adviser to the governor and the Chairman of Guma LGA are here assessing the situation.”

When contacted, Benue State Police spokesperson DSP Udeme Edet said she had yet to receive an official report. “The moment I have the report, I will send it to you,” she stated.

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Defence/Security

FG Lacks Clear Strategy to Tackle Insecurity, Terrorism in Middle-Belt – Ayatutu Professors

Published

12 hours ago

August 11, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

MAKURDI: The Forum of Ayatutu Professors (FAP) in Benue State has criticised the Federal Government for failing to show any deliberate or coherent strategy to address insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria, particularly in the Middle-Belt.

In a statement signed by Prof. Tor Iorapuu (Chairman) and Prof. Simon Irtwange (Secretary) of the Forum’s Board of Trustees and Council of Management, FAP dismissed claims that the country lacks sufficient security personnel to tackle the crisis.

The group’s remarks were issued in solidarity with Prof. Zacharys Gundu, who recently came under fire from Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule. They urged the Federal Government to move beyond “mere declarations” and implement “strict securitisation and territorialisation” of Nigeria’s borders to block terrorists, bandits, and foreign invaders.

“Nigeria is under siege, and the Federal Government has failed to demonstrate the will to protect the lives of its citizens,” the statement read. “What we are witnessing is not random violence but organised mass atrocities, particularly in the North Central region.”

FAP stressed that Nigeria has no shortage of capable military generals or skilled police officers, yet the country “bleeds daily.” They warned that the consequences of inaction are “worse than war,” pointing to decades of massacres in Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna, where churches, schools, and communities have become “massacre memorials.”

The Forum cited recent examples, including the June 13–14 killings in Yelewata, Guma LGA, Benue State, where over 200 people were massacred, and the attack on Jebbu community in Plateau State, which occurred just a kilometre from a major military checkpoint.

FAP drew parallels to the United States’ response to the September 11 attacks, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “use all necessary and appropriate force” to neutralise those behind the violence. They also challenged Governor Sule to clear himself of allegations of complicity, including claims of pressuring a Myetti Allah leader to form a militia and engaging in land grabs from Tiv communities.

The group condemned what it called the government’s “over-focus on political moments and elections” while citizens face existential threats. “Citizens need freedom and security, not political rhetoric,” the statement said.

FAP called on the Federal Government to:

Compensate all victims of attacks in Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna.
Include affected areas in the country’s Humanitarian Response Plan.
Empower the proposed North Central Development Commission to restore livelihoods and protect farmers.
Invite international agencies to investigate decades-long “deliberate annihilation” in Central Nigeria.

“The time for rhetoric is over. Nigeria must act decisively, or continue to watch its people be uprooted, humiliated, and slaughtered,” the Forum declared.

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Defence/Security

Air Force Jets Bombard Bandit Wedding Ceremony Dozens Killed

Published

4 days ago

August 7, 2025

Our Reporter

A major blow was dealt to criminal elements in Zamfara State as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) launched a successful airstrike on a large gathering of armed bandits attending a wedding ceremony at Asaula Hills, in Yankuzo Ward, Tsafe Local Government Area.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the precision strike, carried out in the afternoon of Tuesday, August 5, was based on credible intelligence from local sources and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) operatives.

The sources said that the intelligence revealed that scores of bandits from different enclaves were converging at Asaula Hill a rugged, elevated terrain for a mass wedding ceremony.

The sources said that at exactly 1444 hours, field reports confirmed the presence of a large number of heavily armed bandits, some on over 100 motorcycles, assembled at the location.

“In response, the air component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, under the Nigerian Air Force’s Sector 2 Command, immediately deployed a fighter jet to engage the target,” the source said.

The strike was executed at about 1600 hours and caught the criminals by surprise at the peak of the celebration.

“The wedding brought together bandit factions from Faskari and Kankara LGAs in Katsina State, and other enclaves across Zamfara. Dozens were neutralised instantly, while many others were critically injured. The survivors were seen evacuating the wounded to Yankuzo village for treatment,” the source added.

Zagazola gathered that further reconnaissance and follow-up intelligence indicated that at least 10 identifiable bodies were recovered by the evening of the strike, while several others were burnt beyond recognition.

Local informants reported that no fewer than 33 injured bandits were receiving makeshift treatment at the Comprehensive Health Centre in Yankuzo and in nearby hamlets.

It is believed that the number of fatalities may be higher, considering the scale of the gathering and the intensity of the bombardment.

“Some of the injured bandits are being secretly treated by unqualified health workers. It is recommended that ground troops conduct mop-up operations both at the strike site and at suspected recovery points like Yankuzo village,”said the sources.

Operation FANSAN YAMMA, launched earlier this year, is a renewed joint military offensive across the North West, targeting known terrorist enclaves, logistics hubs, and command structures of bandit groups operating in Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, and Sokoto States.