Hundreds Of Residents Flee Community In Kaduna As Bandits Attack

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Hundreds of residents are fleeing Damari community in Birnin Gwari Local Council of Kaduna State, as bandits moving on motorcycles invaded the villages yesterday

Some of the villagers alleged that the bandits were in pursuit of members of a group loyal to a notorious warlord, Malam Abba, whom the Kaduna State Police Command, in 2020, confirmed to be a member of Boko Haram.

It was gathered that before the bandits invaded the community yesterday, a deadly clash had ensued, on Friday, between the terrorists and the lieutenants of Abba in which several bandits were killed.

Consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the military to respond “robustly” to the cases of killings and kidnappings in Niger State and to give effect to the strategic objectives through the use of force.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement, yesterday, disclosed that the President gave the directive to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ).

Buhari, as commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces, has set the ball rolling for a major military operation in Niger communities, which bandits and remnants of fleeing Boko Haram terrorists attack.

Meanwhile, troops of Sector 2 Joint Task Force (JTF) North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have reportedly dealt with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, who made frantic attempt to infiltrate Biu town in Borno State.

The criminal elements were said to have met their waterloo when the troops of 231 Battalion and 331 Artillery Regiment swiftly routed them in a failed incursion at Maina Hari village on Saturday, January 15, 2022.

According to army spokesman, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in the intense battle, troops unleashed superior firepower on the terrorists, neutralising five terrorists and compelling others to withdraw in disarray.

Presidential hopeful and All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Bola Tinubu, is optimistic that Nigeria will win the fight against insecurity, even as he called on Nigerians to report suspicious movements to relevant authorities.

Tinubu, while in Katsina State, yesterday, also called on Nigerians to be vigilant by paying attention to their surroundings, and to “preach peace to those determined to bring terrorism.”

The APC leader was in the state to sympathise with the state government over the murder of Rabe Nasir, a Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, who was killed on December 10, 2021.

FOR resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) have donated $2.84 billion (about N11.2 trillion) to North East governments.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State disclosed this while hosting the Acting Country Representative, UN, and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mathias Schmake, in Maiduguri. He said the state government and five others affected by the 12-year insurgency in the region were supported by UN agencies to make life better for IDPs.