Matawalle Imposes Curfew in 14 LGAs After Bandits Abducted Over 100 Students from Gov’s Domain

•Shuts down primary, secondary schools

•Police confirm 73 kidnapped, commence rescue operations

•Tambuwal issues executive order, places restriction on movements

Francis Sardauna in Katsina and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Zamfara State Govenor, Bello Matawalle, has imposed curfew in all the 14 Local Government Areas of the state, following the abduction of over 100 students of Government Day Secondary School in Kaya, Maradun Local Government Area, the governor’s home town.

The governor also ordered the immediate and total closure of all primary and Secondary schools across the State to prevent future occurrance of the incident.

But the state police command has confirmed the abduction of 73 students, even as it has immediately commenced a search and rescue operations.

Relatedly, the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has also issued an order, restricting movements in certain local governments and areas of the state in obvious response to the increasing banditry in that part of the country.

The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara State, CP Ayuba Elkana, who disclosed Matawalle’s directives while addressing journalists shortly after a closed-door security meeting at the Government House, said all primary and secondary schools in the state remained closed till further notice.

He said: “Following a security threat, the governor has directed the closure of all primary and secondary schools with a view to ensure safety of citizens in the state.

“In Gusau, the state capital, the lockdown would start from 8pm to 6am, while the remaining 13 local government areas would be from 6pm to 6am”.

The state police chief explained that all security personnel were directed to ensure the total compliance of the governor’s order, even as he called on the public to remain calm and law abiding as well as support the security in their bid to protect people and their properties in the state.

But the state’s Police Command has later put the number of abducted students at 73, as against the initial 100.

In a different statement by the public relations officer, a Superintendent of Police, Muhammad Shehu, said the Command has deployed search and rescue team to work with the military and ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students

The statement appealed to the public, especially, parents and relatives of the abducted students to exercise patience and continue to pray for the success of the ongoing rescue operation.

Gunmen Suspected to be bandits abducted scores of students at Kaya Day Secondary School in Maradun council area, after invading the school at about 11am yesterday and took the students to an undisclosed location.

A resident of Kaya, Musa Kabiru, while confirming the abduction to THISDAY in a telephone interview, said the bandits stormed the school premises around 11:15am on Wednesday when school was in progress.

“As soon they entered the school, they began to shoot sporadically and kidnapped over 100 students and dozens of teachers on the spot,” he said.

Another source claimed the bandits, who stormed the school on motorcycles, started shooting sporadically to scare people away and later abducted students and some teachers in the said school.

The abduction is coming barely a week after students and staff of the college of Agriculture and Animal Science were released.

The state government has also rolled what it called proactive security measures aimed at flushing out the criminal elements and restore peace in the State.

A statement by the Director of Press to the governor, Yusuf Idris Gusau, also stated that the measure had become necessary in view of the incessant abduction of school children in the state

In Sokoto, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Orientation, Isa Bajini Galadanci,said Tambuwal, in the exercise of powers conferred upon him by subsection (2) of Section 176 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, issued the order to be known as Security Challenges (Containment) Order.

He said the order took immediate effect yesterday, September 1, 2021 and directedimmediate and total closure of Isa Marnona Road to all motorists until further notice,advising travelers plying that road to go through Goronyo-Sabon Birni axis.

Also, he prohibited lorries/trucks or other vehicles carrying firewood from the forests.

Bajini further announced the suspension of the sale of all animals at the markets of Gada, Goronyo, Gudu, Ilela, Isa, Kebbe, Sabon Birni, Shagari, Rabah, Tambuwal, Tangaza, Tureta and Wurno Local Governments Areas.

The commissioner explained that as part of the measure to contain insecurity in the state, the governor has equally approved the prohibition of transportation of cattle using trucks/lorries in Gada, Goronyo, Gudu, Illela, Isa, Kebbe, Sabon Birni, Shagari, Rabah Tambuwal,Tangaza, Tureta, and Wurno Local Governments Areas.

He said the governor has approved the prohibition of carrying three persons on motorcycles and more than three passengers in a tricycle throughout the State.

The order prohibited the sale of second-hand motorcycles at Gada, Goronyo, Gudu, Ilela, Isa, Kebbe, Sabon Birni, Shagari, Rabah Tambuwal, Tangaza, Tureta, Achida, Gande, Gwadabawa and Wurno Markets.

He explained that the order prohibited the operation of commercial tricycles and motorcycles from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am in the state capital, and 6:00 p.m 6:00 a.m in Gada, Goronyo, Gudu, Gwadabawa, Illela, Isa, Kebbe, Sabon Birni, Shagari, Rabah, Tambuwal, Tangaz, Tureta and Wurno Local Governments Areas.

Further to that, the statement announced the prohibition of the sale of petrol in jerrycans at filling stations, adding that only designated filling stations are allowed to sell petrol and diesel of not more than N5,000.00 to motorists in Gada, Goronyo, Gudu, Ilela, Isa, Kebbe, Sabon Birni, Shagari, Rabah, Tambuwal Tangaza, Tureta and Wurno Local Governments Areas

The order, however, authorised only essential workers, which included health personnel, security personnel and Joumalists as those, who could use tricycles and motorcycles beyond the banned periods.

Tambuwal urged the people of Sokoto to adhere to the provisions of the order, which was passed after wide consultation with all stakeholders and constituted authorities as well as security and law enforcement agencies.

He said government had taken the measure out of the need to introduce additional countervailing measures in the affected areas in order to contain the banditry and mitigate the damages it was causing to social and economic activities, as well as to preserve peace.