Two Nigerian army captains and one soldier, Sunday night, died as heroes battling insurgents around the Kubwa-Bwari Road, near Abuja, while on routine patrol.
Although a statement on Monday by the Presidential Guards of Brigade, had claimed three soldiers were injured during a clash with terrorists that Sunday night, THISDAY can, however, confirm that two officers and a soldier, paid the supreme price during active service to fatherland.
Unfortunately, the menace constituted by these criminals have continued to scale up with the killing, on Monday, of three persons and kidnapping of seven others in fresh onslaught in Yar Tafki and Unguwar Isiyaka villages in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State.
In another development, the Senate has passed a bill to establish a national commission for coordination and control against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
This is as a former Commander of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Brig. Gen. Jon Temlong (rtd), has called on the Nigerian authorities to make public, the list of sponsors of terrorism in the country.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State government, has denied reports that there was a bomb explosion in the Government House, saying the claims of a bomb explosion was a mere hoax.
Spokesman of the Guards Brigade, Captain Godfrey Abakpa, had said in his Monday statement that, some soldiers were ambushed along the Kubwa-Bwari Road while responding to a distress call, and that three of them were wounded and hospitalised, while the attack was repelled by his men.
“Troops on routine patrol along Kubwa–Bwari were ambushed by suspected terrorists. Three soldiers were injured during the attack. The soldiers have been evacuated for medical attention,” the statement stated.
THISDAY, however, gathered that two army captains and one soldier were killed during the attack.
A competent source said the remains of the soldiers had been taken to the Brigade of Guards medical facility.
“Two captains and a soldier were killed in that unfortunate encounter. They paid the supreme price. I was with one of them last week. I am in mourning presently,” a military source said.
Terrorists Kill Three, Abduct School Principal, Six Others in Katsina
Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have killed three persons and kidnapped seven others in fresh onslaught in Yar Tafki and Unguwar Isiyaka villages in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State.
A security source in Funtua, who confirmed the separate attacks to THISDAY, said, the hoodlums armed with sophisticated weapons invaded the neighbouring villages in the wee hours of Tuesday.
He explained that the principal of Government Secondary School, Makera, a 35-year-old nursing mother and her 17-months-old baby were those abducted in Yar Tafki village.
According to the source, the suspected terrorists killed three people and kidnapped four other residents of Unguwar Isiyaka village, including the ward head, to adjoining forests in the area.
He said: “Early this (Tuesday) morning, some armed terrorist in large numbers carrying sophisticated weapons attacked Yar Tafki village and started shooting sporadically and in the process they kidnapped one Yahaya Magaji, the Principal of Government Secondary School, Makera.
“They also kidnapped Marakisuya Yakubu, aged 35 and her 17-month-old baby, Bilkisu Yakubu. At Unguwar Isiyaka village, three men were killed by the terrorists and four others have been kidnapped including the Mai Unguwa (ward head).”
He added that those, who sustained injuries during the attacks were receiving treatment at near-by hospital.
When contacted, spokesman of the State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, said he had no clue about the incidents. “I am not aware of any attack in Funtua but I will find out,” he said.
In a related development, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Katsina State, has expressed concerns over the increasing spate of terrorists’ attacks on communities across the state, saying nobody was safe again in the state.
The coalition, in a statement by its Chairman, AbdulRahman Abdullahi titled: “Worsening Security Situation in Katsina State: A Call for Prayers and Sober Reflection”, accused the state government of failing to secure the lives and property of the citizens.
“Most disheartening is the government’s inability to take decisive actions and bring these incessant senseless killings of innocent and law abiding citizens to an end. Banditry activities are in the rise everyday and the bandits are becoming bolder and more dangerous with every attack they carry out.
“This is because they are becoming more equipped with deadly weaponry with the ransoms paid to them, making them stronger and more daring to advance their attacks to areas, thither to, inaccessible to them. Today, nowhere is secured and nobody is safe in Katsina State. The state headquarters, the seat of power, is not a safe haven either,” the statement read.
Kogi Denies Explosion in Govt House
The Kogi State government has denied a recent report that there was a bomb explosion at the Government House, describing such claims as mere hoax.
A statement by the the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Onogwu Mohammed, said the reported development was unfounded, but admitted that there was a distress call from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs over an object that looked like an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The statement noted that a police bomb disposal unit was deployed in the area but later found out that it was a plastic bottle.
“The attention of the Kogi State Government has been drawn to a false and misleading publication in the media platforms captioned: ‘Explosion Rocks Kogi Government Office’.
“The government is miffed and views this publication as malicious, false, misleading and a calculated attempt to cause panic and undermine the already improved security situation in the state.
“May we, at this point, state the true facts surrounding the incident that actually occurred earlier this morning of 26/07/2022 around the Ministry of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, opposite Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre, Lokoja.
“There was a distress call to the police regarding an object that looked like an IED placed on the fence of the ministry of Local government and chieftaincy Affairs, opposite Mohammad Buhari Square, Lokoja,” the state government said.
The statement further disclosed that, “The Bomb Disposal Unit of the Nigerian Police Force Command located a minute away from the scene was immediately deployed to the area.
“On arrival they found out that it was a plastic Bottle and a Can of insecticide wrapped together with a power source to look like an IED. It was discovered to be a hoax and the object was removed by operatives of Bomb Disposal Unit.
“However, there was no explosion around any government premises in Lokoja as reported by some media platforms,” the government stated, noting that, it considered the publication as not only unprofessional but also believed it was at variance with the ethics of the profession of journalism.
“For the sake of emphasis, we would like to put the record straight that there was no bomb explosion whatsoever in Kogi Government House or offices in Lokoja metropolises.
“The government commends the good people of Kogi for their unalloyed support given to the security agencies in the state and enjoins them to disregard false news as it is capable of causing palpable tension as well as instilling fear in the state, while urging them to go about their normal businesses as there is no cause for alarm,” it said.
THISDAY
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