President Goodluck Jonathan
•President orders military to go after attackers •APC calls for suspension of presidential trip
Jaiyeola Andrews and Ibrahim Shuaibu
In what seems like the spread of bloodletting in parts of the country,
suspected gunmen riding on motorcycles on Tuesday and Wednesday night
killed an estimated 103 people in separate attacks on two villages in
Faskari and Sabuwa Local Government Areas of Katsina State.
The multiple attacks on the communities occurred a few hours ahead of President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the state.
But this has drawn the ire of the state chapter of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), which criticised the president for continuing with his
state visit.
It was gathered that the armed men, said to be cattle rustlers, invaded
Koran Mota village, where they killed seven people including the
Maiunguwa (ward head), Mallam Maiunguwa Bawa, Mallam Nuhu Haruna and
Magaji Musa of Marabar Kindo. They were all buried on Wednesday.
The fleeing armed men also reportedly shot dead a middle-aged man in
the neighbouring village of Unguwar Rimi, in Sabuwa before disappearing
into the bush.
Eyewitnesses told THISDAY that the gang of bandits numbering about 90,
were said to be riding 30 motorcycles when they raided Kurar Mota and
Marabar Kindo villages in Faskari and Sabuwa respectively. According to
eyewitness accounts, the armed men shot sporadically into the air to
scare away the residents.
However, the Chief Imam of Maigora village in Faskari confirmed that
the bandits came in different attire, stating that some were dressed in
army uniforms, while others wore Fulani clothing.
It was further confirmed that the bandits had repeatedly raided
Maigora, Sabon layin Galadima, Unguwar Rimi and Marabar Kindo and
neighbouring villages killing dozens of people while several others who
fled were still missing at press time.
Efforts by the police to intervene during the attacks, suffered a
setback when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Faskari, identified
as Mr. A. A. Gwarzo, who led his men to apprehend the assailants, was
stabbed and injured in the leg at Munhaye village.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Katsina State Police
Command, Aminu Sadiq, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), however
denied the casualty figure, stating, “It is only five people that were
killed.”
Attacks by bandits have become a recurring menace in the Rugu forest
which borders Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger and Katsina States for over a year,
resulting in the destruction of human lives, livestock and other
property.
As a result, surviving residents of the communities have been forced to
flee their homes for Dandume Local Government Area for fear of further
attacks.
Reacting to the attacks on the villages, the state chapter of APC
chided the president for continuing with the state visit despite the
onslaught and killings in the communities.
Addressing the press yesterday, the interim Chairman of APC in Katsina
State, Dangiwa Ahmed, called for the immediate suspension of the state
visit and urged the federal government to urgently find a lasting
solution to this carnage.
He said it was disheartening that government had concentrated security personnel in the state capital, Katsina, ahead of the president’s visit “while people are being killed with houses burnt leading to the displacement of countless others”.
The APC admonished Jonathan to urgently visit the area and sympathise
with the victims and “provide moral and humanitarian support”.
Meanwhile, the president yesterday ordered the Armed Forces to comb the
Rugu forest and rid it of militants who have been launching deadly
attacks on surrounding states.
The president, who spoke at a dinner reception organised for him by the
Katsina State Government, said the forest borders the four states of
Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna and neighbouring Niger Republic.
He regretted that the forest meant for economic purposes had turned to
hideout for insurgents who are launching attacks on the states.
The president also mandated the National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA) to immediately swing into action and deliver relief materials to
the affected communities.
Earlier in the day, the president commissioned the new Katsina State Government House built at the cost of N8 billion.
At the commissioning, the president pledged the federal government’s
support to the state in its development drive and lauded the governor,
Ibrahim Shema, for what he described as his selfless service in
completing the massive project a year before the end his administration.
Earlier, Shema noted that politics should be about service to humanity and not for selfish reasons.
He enjoined Jonathan to continue with the positive programmes at the centre and avoid distraction occasioned by the challenges facing the nation.
He enjoined Jonathan to continue with the positive programmes at the centre and avoid distraction occasioned by the challenges facing the nation.
“Mr. President, you have offered yourself to the service of this
country and you are doing the best in human capacity development.
“In human endeavour, there must be some challenges, so yours is not
peculiar and Nigeria is facing its own challenges like the other nations
of the world.
“There is no part of the world today that can claim that it is 100 per cent at peace and harmony, but deliberate and sincere work from leaders must be put in place to address development issues,” Shema said.
According to him, the N8 billion used in constructing the new Government House was sourced from the savings of the state.
He said the proceeds from the interest were also used in constructing the N400 million Katsina government lodge in Abuja.
Besides the projects, Shema said his administration had constructed 200
secondary schools, 38 new primary schools, adding that education at the
primary and secondary school levels in the state was free.
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