30 herdsmen killed, 1,400 cows, sheep stolen

From John Adams, Minna

For thousands of cattlemen in Niger State, these are not the best of times. They have continued to count their loses after coming under heavy attacks from cattle rustlers in the last one month. The attacks have always left heavy casualties.

No fewer than 15 communities, all in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, have fallen under the superior firepower of the rustlers who have made life miserable in the sleepy Fulani settlements.

In the last one month, over 40 people, mostly Fulani herdsmen, have been killed while hundreds of others have been critically injured. Also, more than 1,000 cows and 500 sheep have been stolen by the cattle thieves.

Mallam Shehu Galadima was one of the victims. He said he had suffered losses in virtually all the raids, losing his 20-year-old son, Ismaila Bala, and 50 heads of cattle in three different attacks in the last one year.

Galadima, who migrated from Katsina State to settle in Kukoki village 25 years ago, told our correspondent that the activities of the rustlers have made life meaningless for the people in the settlements.

He said, “They have taken everything away from us. Cattle rearing is our occupation and that is where we earn our living, but these people have rendered us useless.

“They always come without any resistance because there is no security presence here. They come heavily armed with all manner of dangerous weapons and anybody who dares to confront them is killed. That was how my son was killed for coming out of his room that night.

“I have been a victim in all the attacks, and I can tell you that I have lost 50 cows, 30 sheep and my son was also killed in one of their invasions. The communities around here are under siege because of these people.

“They found it very easy to operate here because we don’t have a police station here. Sometimes when they come, they will tell all of us not to come out of our houses, otherwise they will kill us. That was how they killed many people in this community, including my son.”

Also narrating her frustration, Aminatu, one of the wives of the district head who was killed last year by the rustlers, told Daily Sun that residents of the settlements have continued to live in fear since her husband and her son were slaughtered in her presence.

Aminatu, who could not hold back tears and only spoke with the reporter after much persuasion, said that each time they heard the cries of cattle in the night, the residents always believed that the rustlers were around, adding that there would be panic everywhere.

“We live in fear every day because of these people. The memories of my late husband and son are still very fresh in my mind. The memories are difficult to forget in a hurry. Government must help us by bringing security here. We have lost everything. Our lives are no longer safe,” she said.

Before the recent onslaught, the rustlers caused a lot of havoc in the area, especially in 2015. In one single attack last year, 50 villagers were killed, including a district head and a police inspector, while 500 heads of cattle were taken away.

Before the attack that led to the killing of the district head in July 2015, 11 villagers were killed and many houses were burnt down in a coordinated attack in which the rustlers invaded Kwati, Basa and  Kaore in Lakpan district of Shiroro Local Government Area.

The state government, worried by the incessant attacks on the communities, swung into action with the deployment of a special police squad to the area, which curtailed the activities of the rustlers for a while.

The activities of the rustlers, however, continued until then Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu sought the assistance of the military. The military deployed over 200 soldiers from the 31 Field Artillery Brigade in Minna to all the flashpoints in the state, including Bagabaga forest in Alawa, Rafi Local Government Area.

The deployment of the troops paid off with the recovery of 200 cattle and 192 sheep during the operation. Also recovered by the military were five AK-47 rifles, 7.62mm live ammunition, 19 cartridges of double barrel guns and a locally-made pistol.

The invasion of Gbada and Kaura in Shiroro Local Government Area last month, during which five people were killed and 20 others injured, was the first attack since 2015.

The heavily-armed attackers, numbering over 30, stormed the community at about 3am on the fateful day when the villagers were asleep. They shot sporadically to force the people out of their houses and in the process five people were gunned down while the gunmen stole an undisclosed number of cattle.

Related News

Two weeks after the attack, while the people are trying to recover from the shock, another set of cattle rustlers, numbering over 50 and in a commando-like manner, stormed Kukoki, a Fulani settlement in Shiroro Local Government Area, and killed six people.

mr-zubairu-muazu-cp-niger-state

A pregnant woman and 15 others were believed to have been injured in the attack that lasted for about four hours. About 700 heads of cattle, goats and sheep were rustled by the marauders. Witnesses told Daily Sun that the rustlers arrived the settlement at about 7am on Monday morning and started shooting sporadically into the air to scare scare residents. The attackcontinued for over four hours. Many of the villagers escaped to nearby communities and bushes, leaving their homes deserted.

Comcerned by the renewed attacks by the rustlers, the Niger State Police Command has deployed 500 men in areas designated as dangerous points. Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muzau, in a press briefing in Minna recently, said the policemen would strengthen the joint task force, comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Department of State Services (DSS) already on site in Alawa.

Muazu noted that the bandits were fleeing the military offensive in Zamafara State and taking refuge in forests bordering Kaduna and Zamfara states. He said the police were taking the battle to the rustlers with the deployment of three units, counter-terrorism, anti-cattle rustling and Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Muazu also declared that Nger State had earlier been saved from cattle rustling, kidnapping and armed robbery following a major onslaught against hoodlums by men of the command, in conjunction with the military; but he noted that the bandits were trying to find their way into the state again.

Muazu said six people were recently killed in Kukoki, while five lives were lost in Gbada, both in Shiroro coumcil area, with an undisclosed number of cattle stolen.

The police boss stated that, following the development, residents of communities in the affected local government areas had fled their homes for fear of attacks. Many people have relocated to Pandogari town.

Addressing the troops at the command headquarters, the commissioner of police urged them to rid the forests of the criminals, while also observing the rules of engagement. He said men of the command were ready for the task at hand.


Iginla donates N10m to acid attack victim

From Ben OkezIe, Abuja

He  is a Christian cleric and the founder of Champion Royal Assembly, Chykakore, Kubwa, Abuja. But, recently, Brother Joshua Iginla doled out the sum of N10 million for surgery on a Muslim girl bathed with acid in Abuja.

The man of God told his congregation that there was nothing wrong with the gesture, saying he was only showing the love of Christ to the acid victim

The pastor said: “All l am doing is to show the 23-year-old victim, Miss Jemila Umoru, that human beings must show love to one another, even if the victim is from another religion.”

Miss Umoru was bathed with acid by her lover, who she discovered was already married. Daily Sun learnt that when Miss Umoru found that he was married, she quit the relationship, but her decision did not go down well with the lover. It was gathered that the man’s friend arranged some hoodlums, who accosted Umoru and bathed her with acid.

A medical report signed by Dr. Edosa Osama-Ojo noted that the victim had severe burns on the face, limbs and hands. The acid bath also affected her sight. Osama-Ojo said the church had arranged for the victim to travel to India with her doctor and brother for plastic surgery and treatment at the Firtis Hospital, Nodia, New Delhi, India.

Speaking to the congregation, Iginla said the girl was expected to spend three months in India and the church would foot all the medical bills, flight tickets and hotel accommodation.

He added that, apart from securing a visa for the victim and the two others, including the doctor, an additional 4,000 rupees was donated to the victim.

He said: “This is not a bait for her to join the church; it is simply expressing the love of Christ.

“If she comes back and insists she wants to remain a Muslim, she is completely free. I urge Christians to always show love to people of other faiths.”

brother-iginla