23042021 - Insecurity: Our nation is bleeding now — DEFENCE MINISTER

28 —Vanguard, FRIDAY,
APRIL 23, 2021
Continues from Page 5
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By Elizabeth Adegbesan
vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
Insecurity: Our nation is bleeding
now — DEFENCE MINISTER
concern as far as the
security of this country is
concerned.
“The latest is the
burning of our soldiers,
brutal murder of about 11
soldiers and one officer
and the military is not
taking kindly to that, let
me just tell you this. I
have been to Benue State
Government, I have seen
the governor and we have
told him the blatant truth
about the position of the
military in this country.
“Whoever touches the
military has no regard for
this country and this
country is governed by
the rule of law and we
have accepted democracy
as a solution to the liberty
of individuals in this
country.
“We have been very firm,
we have succeeded in
reiterating to them what
we actually want and we
have got some answers
that the weapons that
were captured from the
soldiers have been
retrieved, at least we have
nine of them out of 12 and
the perpetrators have
been captured and taken
to the police for proper
interrogation and
subsequent prosecution.”
On killing of
bandits
The Defence minister
also commented on the
killing all bandits as had
been proposed by Kaduna
State governor, Mallam
Nasir el-Rufai.
Asked whether he
shared the same
sentiment with the
Kaduna governor on
killing any bandits
wherever they were
sighted, he said: “I don’t
share that opinion. With
my little experience as a
lawyer for 37 years, I think
I know the rule of law. I
know how decisions are
taken. Everybody is
innocent till he’s found
guilty.
“We’ll try to administer
justice to all of them, but
where we catch them with
weapons, somebody
trying to kill you, what do
you do? Will you allow
him to kill you before you
make complaint? That
area we will not
compromise, anybody we
pick using arms, we’ll
deal with.
“If he fires one round,
we’ll fire artillery
weapons, lethal, so it can
destroy the whole radius,
not only himself, even his
farm should be
exterminated.”
Nigeria badly
hit by Deby’s
death
The minister said the
Federal Government is
beefing up security in the
country, especially the
border areas because of
the political crisis in Chad.
He said: “When we
heard of this unfortunate
killing of the Chadian
President, we knew
problem was bound to be
created among
neighbouring countries
and Nigeria will be most
hit by his absence. If there
is insecurity in Chad,
there will be problem.
“But thank God, a lot of
military activities with the
Chad, Niger, Cameroon,
are in progress, so, in the
name of Multi-National
Joint Task Force, all these
countries, including
Chad, are contributing for
the operation.
“What we hope is that
very soon, we will find a
secure situation for the
continuation of this thing.
We are beefing up
security in our borders to
ensure that no bandit
comes into Nigeria after
the killing of Chad
President. All we have
prayed is that African
countries will find a
solution to the problem of
Chad.
“The problem of Chad is
now going to be
aggravated because we
are not sure of the
direction the country is
going to face but I assure
you that we are mindful
of our borders, and we are
mindful of the
development, and
politically, the
government is putting its
heads together to see how
best it can restore the
peace in that country.
“So, security wise, we
are beefing up all our
borders to ensure that
refugees do not flow into
our country. Even for
Nigerians (I am sure they
will to come back), we
must prepare and allow
them to come in and
refuse others to come
because of the problems it
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will create.
“On the issues of
weapons and arms, Chad
is the buffer stopping all
these infiltration of
weapons and the rest of
it.
“We also have to take
care of that and prepare
our minds to it. I think we
are on top of the situation,
all we are praying is that
all African countries will
find a solution to the
problem of Chad, and get
on moving as a
democratic society as
expected by international
organisation the world
over.”
Bandits invade
Kaduna
hospital, abduct
2 nurses
Meanwhile, bandits
yesterday invaded
General Hospital, Idom,
in Kajuru Local
Government Area of
Kaduna State, and
abducted two nurses on
duty.
The attack came barely
24 hours after bandits
raided Greenfield
University, a private
institution, killing a staff
and abducting 23
students.
Confirming the
attack,Chairman of Kajuru
Local Government Area,
Cafra Casino, called on
the people to remain calm,
saying investigation had
commenced into the
incident.
Dr. Shingyu
Shamnom, Medical
Director of the hospital,
told journalists that the
gunmen, wielding
dangerous weapons,
gained access to the
hospital through the
fence.
According to him, the
gunmen forcibly gained
entry into the hospital,
shot sporadically and
whisked away two nurses
on night duty who came
out and identified
themselves as medical
workers .
“We were in our homes
until a call was put
through to us that it was
kidnappers who invaded
the hospital, only to
discover that two of the
nurses on night duty had
been taken away by the
bandits.
“The kidnappers went
away with the phone of
one of the staff who we
thought was also
kidnapped but he later
returned,” he said.
We have
epidemic
‘kidnapping and
abduction’
— NMA
Reacting to the attack on
the hospital, the
President, Nigeria
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From left, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen (2nd L); presenting
a souvenir to one of the student of Government Girls' Secondary School, Dutse,
during the minister's visit as part of the activities to commemorate the International
Day for Girls in ICT in Abuja on Thursday (22/4/21). With them is the Director of
Child Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Hajia Jumai Mohammed
and another student.
Medical Association,
NMA, Prof Innocent Ujah,
who said they were
worried about the spate
of kidnapping in the
country, called for
research to determine the
factors responsible for the
increase.
“We have said this
before, that we are all
concerned, even if the
victims were not nurses
and are messengers on
the road. We are all
concerned. I am the
president of medical
doctors but we are worried
because of the needless
harm people are suffering
as a result of kidnapping
in the country.
“It is not a good thing to
abduct anybody. Apart
from the anxiety which
can lead to hypertension,
it is also infringing on
someone’s right. It is like
one is in prison without an
offence.
“It is something we think
should be prevented and
stopped so that people
don’t go through needless
harm as a result of
kidnapping and adoption.
“It requires research to
determine the major
reasons people are being
kidnapped or adopted.
We have not seen any
report so far, whatever we
have is speculative. I
think we should go into
details of factors
responsible for these
kidnapping which has not
been there before. What
we have now is what we
call epidemic kidnapping
and abduction,” he said.
Traditional
ruler, 5 others
killed in Benue
Also yesterday, a
traditional ruler and five
others were reportedly
killed in three separate
attacks on Benue
communities by suspected
herdsmen at Tse-Zoola
village, Agan, in Makurdi
Local Government Area’
Odugbeho in Agatu LGA
and Mbayer-Yandev in
Guma LGA.
Confirming the attack on
Mbayer-Yandev, Guma
LGA Chairman, Caleb Aba,
said the incident occurred
at about 8pm on
Wednesday.
“It happened at about
8pm, though my attention
was drawn to the incident
at 9pm. Herdsmen
invaded Mbayer-Yandev,
Council Ward, killing two
persons and injuring three
others who have been
moved to Benue State
University Teaching
Hospital, BSUTH, for
treatment,” he said.
Similarly, the councilor
representing Odugbeho
Ward and Deputy Leader,
Agatu Legislative Council,
Mr. Julius Abu, who
confirmed the attack and
murder of two persons in his
constituency by armed
herders, condemned the
killing, saying it was
unprovoked.
The Deputy Leader said
those killed by the
marauding herdsmen were
Joseph Babayo and Simon
Idewu who were from
Odugbeho and Ayila
communities respectively.
He said they were killed
along Odugbeho road, and
appealed for deployment of
military personnel to the
area to check the killings
and mounting tension in
area area .
He also told Vanguard
that residents were fleeing
the area for fear of more
invasion and attacks by the
armed herdsmen.
“We have appeal to our
people to remain calm and
avoid the temptation of
taking the laws into their
hands. We have confidence
in the capability of the state
government to tackle the
challenge,” the lawmaker
said.
Meanwhile residents of
Tse-Zoola village, Agan in
Makurdi Local
Government Area, LGA, of
the state also lost their
paramount ruler, Zaki
Hyacinth Ajon, and a
middle-aged man,
Benjamin Anakula to the
marauding herdsmen who
invaded the area yesterday.
Governor Samuel Ortom,
who ran into the
pandemonium in the
community while on his
way from an engagement
outside Makurdi town,
appealed for calm, assuring
that government would do
everything to ensure their
safety.
Narrating their ordeal to
the governor, the oldest
man in the community,
Elder Aho Zoola, said:
“The militia herdsmen,
without any provocation,
attacked our village
around 2am when the
people were deeply asleep,
and killed Zaki Hyacinth
Ajon and Benjamin
Anakula.”
The governor asked if
they had engaged in cattle
rustling in the past, Elder
Aho said “we have never
had any issues with
herdsmen. Even when
their herds graze on our
crops, we watch helplessly
because we do not want
any problems but despite
our disposition, they still
came and killed our Zaki
and our son.”
Gov Ortom
cancels
birthday fanfare
Following the killings,
Governor Ortom has
cancelled all fanfare slated
by individuals and groups
to mark his 60th birthday
today in show of solidarity
and concern for victims of
the renewed herdsmen
attacks on communities in
the state in the last few day.
A statement by Chief
Press Secretary to the
Governor, Terver Akase,
issued yesterday in
Makurdi, read: “Governor
Samuel Ortom will be 60
on April 23, 2021.
Traditionally, drums would
have been rolled out to
celebrate the diamond age.
But Governor Ortom has
chosen to make it low key.
“He (Governor) will meet
with widows, orphans and
people with disabilities
tomorrow (today). On
Saturday, the governor will
visit IDP camps, and on
Sunday go to church to
thank God.’’