Bandits Abduct Housewives in Birnin Gwari

 • Residents foil suicide attack on Yobe mosque

By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna    

Three housewives were reportedly abducted and a 12-year-old child injured when gunmen invaded Maganda village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State yesterday.

Although no life was lost during the incident, the bandits were said to have shot sporadically when they invaded the community at about 2 a.m. and kidnapped the three women. The child was reported to have sustained gunshot wounds during the attack

Speaking in a telephone interview, an eyewitness said, on entering the village, the gunmen started shooting sporadically and went into the compound of Alhaji Adamu Nakwalla in search of him.

He said they searched for Nakwalla, but could not find him because he had gone into hiding on hearing the gunshots.

According to him, the bandits decided to abduct his three wives when they could not find him.

He said one of the wives was later released after they reached Danyamu, a neighbouring village, and she was given a phone number to deliver to her husband to call them.

“The gunmen were so many, they came at about 2 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. They went to the residence of Alhaji Adamu Nakwalla and started searching for him, but they couldn’t get him because he went into hiding when he heard the gunshots.

“The bandits abducted his three wives and left, but when they got to Danyamu village, they released one of the wives and gave her their phone number to give to her husband to call them,” said the eyewitness.

According to him, many communities were yet to feel the impact of the security agencies deployed in the area to stave off the incessant attacks on their villages.

“In our area, there are no security personnel and the criminals operate freely. We are just at their mercy, they kill, kidnap and rape. It is a very horrible situation,” he said.

He appealed to the state and federal governments to urgently stop the bandits from terrorising communities in Birnin Gwari area.

Last Tuesday, 10 persons were reportedly killed when bandits invaded four villages in the area.

The Nigerian Army recently launched the operation, “Operation Idon Raini” to flush out the bandits.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, had while launching the operation in Kompanin Doka village, ordered troops to flush out the hoodlums within three weeks.

The police also deployed 200 additional personnel in the area to curb the incessant banditry that has crippled farming and socio-economic activities.

Efforts to reach the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Aliyu Mukhtar for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to telephone calls and a text message sent to him at the time of filing this report.

In addition to the attack on the Birnin Gwari village, the Nigerian Army said yesterday that some courageous residents foiled a suicide bomb attack by a suspected female Boko Haram member on a mosque in Gashua, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe.

Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director Public Relations, Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, said this in a statement released in Maiduguri, Borno State.

“What would have otherwise been a devastating suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Gashua village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State has been successfully foiled today (yesterday) by vigilant members of the community.

“A female Boko Haram suicide bomber had infiltrated the mosque while members were about to commence a prayer session but was detected while struggling to detonate a suicide bomb vest strapped to her body.

“She was quickly restrained by the locals, arrested and handed over to troops at Azare.

“Members of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Component of Operation Lafiya Dole at the location have safely defused the suicide vest, while the suicide bomber is currently receiving medical attention due to injuries sustained during her arrest.”