13042019 - KILLING FIELDS OF NORTH WEST:They killed my husband, our three children in my presence – Zamfara survivor

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12—SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2019 Who are the bandits? Sources ces unmask them! Illegal mining in Zamfara Continues from pg 11 solution has left room for more questions than answers. For instance, who are the miners in Zamfara States and what are their roles in the security challenges? Why has the government failed to bring them or those that aide them to book if the government knows that they are culprits in the emerging security challenge? Why has the government failed to secure the Abuja-Kaduna highway despite the deployment of a number of policemen on the highway? Why is it so easy for security agencies to track and trace kidnappers that have turned Katsina state to their safe haven? If the in-law of a governor could be easily snatched from the comfort of her home and only released after ransom has been paid, what reassurance can the governor give the people that he will protect them? For now, the north west is on the radar of the security attention in the country. How serious the government is in tackling this challenge will determine whether it is serious or it is indeed playing to the gallery of public opinion. Tales of victims of Zamfara bandit attacks KATSINA - Life is hell for residents of Zamfara State with the series of attacks launched by armed bandits and kidnappers on people of the state almost on daily basis. Information reliably gathered shows that no local government area of the state is has not been attacked or without stories to tell about the encounter with bandits. It is severe in local government areas such as Shinkafi, Zurmin, Birnin Magaji, Bokyum and Gusau. They are worst hit. Residents of villages in Shinkafi local government area, one of the worst hit took turns to narrate their sad tales and ordeals in the hands of the bandits to our correspondent. They killed my husband, our three children in my presence • I ran 40km to save my life - survivor Suwaiba Kabiru is a resident of Kursasa village in Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara State who said her husband and three children were killed in her presence but she narrowly escaped death after running 40km on foot to Shinkafi. Suwaiba whose legs were swollen said she escaped through the bush to Shinkafi where she is currently undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital. According to her, "it was on a Sunday on that fateful day, when the gunmen stormed our village about 4pm and were raiding till 7pm. They opened fire. Shooting sporadically, they killed my husband and three children in my presence. I narrowly escaped. I ran 40km on foot to Shinkafi. Their bullets could not kill me but I don't know the whereabouts of my two wives and eight children Another resident of a village near Baji village, Muntaka Hassan said the bandits used machete to cut him when several “gunshots fired at me couldn't penetrate.” Muntaka said he took bullet charm which made it impossible for the bandits to kill him by shooting him with gun. "We were at home when they came shooting sporadically. I was shot at several times. I visited a village where I was given charm for bullet, so the bullets couldn't penetrate. So they cut me with machete on my shoulder and left me there thinking I was dead," he said. He then told his bizarre story: “I don't know the whereabouts of my family members - two wives and eight children. "I have two wives but I don't know their whereabouts. But I was told, one of them is in Inwala. She ran to her grandmother. I was also told on her way she was shot, I don't know whether she is dead or alive. The other wife fled and also my eight children. I don't know their Why is it so easy for security agencies to track and trace kidnappers that have turned Katsina state to their safe haven? whereabouts because the people came and created commotion as they shot at everybody they saw and left everybody running for his or her lives. "They came with a gun that releases fire when they shoot it. It is unbelievable. I don't know the name of the gun but ones they shoot it, fire comes out and everywhere is gutted by the fire. "This is not the first time we experienced this. The first time they came, they shot three boys and kidnapped one. So this is their second coming. "We reported the incident to our traditional leaders because no presence of security personnel in our areas. When we reported to our leaders, they told us they had informed the security but the security men often say that they had not been granted permission to attack. "They shot people, some are dead and our cattle were killed," Haruna said. I was shot on the leg, shoulder while attempting to flee Similarly, Aminu Usman, a resident of Baji village in Shinkafi said he was shot on the leg and shoulder while attempting to escape with his younger brother. Usman said the bandits set ablaze houses and shops in their community, leaving only three standing. "The Armed bandits invaded our village on Sunday. They came shooting at about 7pm after Magrib prayer. Unknowing to us, they were in the village since 4pm. "They set ablaze shops and houses. All houses in our village were set ablaze. Only three houses are standing in our village. Nobody in our village. "They shot me in my leg and my hand but the bullets have been removed. "If you try to run away, they will come after you with their motorcycles and shoot you. Once they shoot, they go. They do not check whether you are dead or alive. They just shoot as if they take pride in doing so. "I was shot on my leg and shoulder while trying to flee with my brother. I was attempting to cross a river because there is a river in our village that you will have to cross before you escape into the bush but unknowing to me, the bandits had taken position there (by the river) in such a way that anyone who attempted to flee through that route was forced to go back into the village already set ablaze. One Kabiru Lawali, from Gidan Mussa village in Shinkafi is lucky to be alive but the bandits broke his leg. Lawali, was the first attacked by the bandits who stormed the area in their numbers and on motorcycle. He was said to have gone to a garden close to his house. He was the first the bandits attacked. In attempt to rush back to the village to notify the villagers of the coming of the bandits on motorcycles, he fell down from his motorcycle and the bandits met him, broke his leg. They went into the town to carry out their atrocities. Lawali's state of health was said to be fast deteriorating and would now be amputated. The owner of a private hospital, Dr. Suleiman Shuaibu Shinkafi who is treating Lawali and 25 others said he was already arranging to convey him to Sokoto or Gusau for the amputation which he said was the last option. "I have 26 victims here who sustained several degrees of injuries and they can't cater for themselves. "Some are in general hospital, Shinkafi. The situation in the hospital is worst as there are no drugs. I have to go on my own to get some drugs for the hospital. "Some are in my private hospital while others are in my house. Dr. Shinkafi who doubles as the Sarkin Shanu Shinkafi, Zamfara State described the situation as alarming, a scenario where more than 200 people were killed in one week. "In recent time, about four days ago the record of killing, rape and kidnapping across the state has become alarming that no family can sleep in Zamfara State with their both eyes firmly closed. "One will be forced to ask whether there is existence of government in Zamfara State where the rural population is entirely at the mercy of bandits and kidnappers without any hope for an end at any moment. "The people of Zamfara State have abandoned their means of livelihood such as farming and animal husbandry as they dare not go out to do any of them for fear of been kidnapped or killed. The number of people that have been displaced in the on-going carnage and genocide cannot be ascertained as death and ugly killings are recorded on daily basis. "Today, majority of indigenes of Zamfara State including my Local Government Shinkafi have become a sorry state, where lives of people does not worth anything and cannot be protected by those in authority, because they don’t feel the pain. "Most worrisome, ladies and gentlemen is the involvement of some security officials who aided the criminals to commit the crime and cover them up. Recently 19 Children of an Arabic School in Barki Marna were kidnapped by hoodlums who are now asking for Thirty-Million Naira ransom to release the poor children. Issues of rape have been a decimal occurrence that the hoodlums go from house to house to kidnap married and unmarried women. The situation has become so alarming that almost all the villages have been deserted for fear of been kidnapped or killed by these merchants of death. However, the Executive Secretary of the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency, Engineer Sanusi Kwatarkwashi put the number of lives lost from the attacks at 3,000 from 2018 till date while 31,420 persons are internally displaced as recorded by the agency. "We have 31, 420 IDPs, we got access to. We have 3,962 males, 8,890 females and 18,550 children as at the end of last month, March. "They are from various communities across the local government - Gusau, Shinkafi, Zurmin, Birnin Magaji and Bokyum local government areas. "We have record of 3,000 live lost from 2018 till date, hundreds of people are kidnapped," Engr. Kwatarkwashi stated.
SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2019—13 KILLINGS: •Herdsmen, cultists taking centre stage in southeast •Catholic priests, innocent ones falling victims By Chioma Gabriel, Editor Special Features & Vincent Ujumadu In the beginning A spate of killings is creeping into the southeast. Cultist, bandits and herdsmen are gaining ground in the southeast once again. Very recently, gunmen initially suspected to be herdsmen killed a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Clement Ugwu who was said to have been kidnapped from his Parish, St Mark Catholic Church, Obinofia Ndiuno in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State. His body was later found in a bush decomposing, a week after he was allegedly kidnapped. The abduction and killing of Reverend father Clement was one death too many. It was reported that Rev. Fr. Ugwu was kidnapped on Wednesday 13, March 2019, around 9:00 p.m. after they had shot him in his church premises. His remains were laid to rest at the Catholic cemetery at the Holy Ghost Cathedral during which the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, called on the police to fish out the killers of the priest. Bishop Onaga at the burial of Reverend Father Ugwu decried the spate of violent killings around the country, advising that Christians should intensify their prayers for the survival of the country. When efforts to get the priest released failed, a search party was initiated by his parishioners in collaboration with the community; and after two days, his body was found decomposing in a bush on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, a week after he was kidnapped. According to Onaga, “All is not well in Enugu State. We should not continue to pretend about it while our people are killed every day. Enugu State is not secure again. Criminals have shifted to Enugu State from Anambra. “When Father Ugwu was kidnapped, we reported it to the police and since then, I have visited the police station three times, yet, they kept telling me we are closing on the kidnappers. I doubt they were doing anything because where the deceased body of Fr. Ugwu was found is not up to 20km from his house.” But recently, operatives of the Enugu State Police Command arrested two leaders of a kidnap gang alleged to have abducted and killed Rev. Fr. Clement Ugwu in the Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state. Operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit of the state command arrested the leader and the second-in-command of the four-man gang that killed the priest. The source said the leader of the gang was arrested in Abuja where he went to be with his family members after killing the priest. The killers of the priest were said to be a six-man-gang but only four participated in the kidnap and killing of the Reverend father. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the arrest of the suspects, saying , “The Enugu State Police Command wish to inform members of the public, particularly the people of the Operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit of the state command arrested the leader and the second-incommand of the four-man gang that killed the priest state, that some of the suspected kidnappers who were connected with the kidnap and murder of one Rev. Fr. Clement Ugwu, the parish priest of St. Marks Catholic Church in Obinofia Ndiuno in the Ezeagu LGA have been arrested. “The suspects are helping the command in their investigation with a view to arresting the remaining fleeing members of their gang,” the statement read. He said the suspects would be paraded alongside other suspects, adding that the two suspects were the ones that shot the priest and used his ATM to make withdrawals. This also put paid to earlier suspicion that the priest was abducted and killed by herdsmen. Before the abduction and killing of Rev Father Ugwu, on July 4, 2018, Rev. Fr. Paulinus Udewangu of St. Marks Catholic Church, Nsude in Udi Local Government Area was kidnapped while he was jogging. Death of a woman While Enugu State was still mourning the death of Reverend Father Ugwu, the Head of Nursing Services, HNS, Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Mrs Mary Amadi, nee Obeta was murdered by unknown persons in Enugu. Mrs Amadi, was murdered while trying to open the gate to her family house after closing from work. She was reportedly trailed from her office Continues on pg 14
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13042019 - KILLING FIELDS OF NORTH WEST:They killed my husband, our three children in my presence – Zamfara survivor

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