DHQ: Troops Vanquish  11 Terrorists, Intercept Small Arms, Ammunition in Kaduna

Terrorists storm federal varsity, Gusau, kidnap two female students

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The military high command, weekend, confirmed the killing  of 11 terrorists in five villages in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj Gen Musa Danmadami, said troops of Operation Whirl Punch, in conjunction with Defence Headquaters Special Forces, yesterday conducted clearance operations in terrorists’ enclaves at Bagoma Rema, Bilugai, Dagara Sabon Layi, Gagumi Katakaki and Randagi villages all in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Also, there was pandemonium at the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State, Saturday night, as heavily armed terrorists stormed Sabon Gida village location of off- campus students’ hostels and kidnapped two female students of the university.

Musa said troops made contact with terrorists at Kakangi and Katakaki villages and engaged the terrorist with superior fire power. Troops exploited the general area and recovered two AK 47 rifles, two AK 47 magazines, 57 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, seven machetes and six  motorcycles among other sundry items.

Defence Headquarters  “com-mended troops of Operation Whirl Punch and encourages the general public to avail troops with credible and timely information on criminal activities”, the statement said.

Meanwhile, there was pandemonium at the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State Sunday night, as heavily armed terrorists stormed Sabon Gida village at the  Federal University, Gusau off-campus hostels and kidnapped some female students.

Security sources said fully armed terrorists arrived the area at about 1am on Sunday, April 2,  2023, picked the students and escaped to an unknown destination.

It was gathered that troops deployed within the general area took control of the situation while efforts were on to locate the kidnapped students.

Confirming  the incident in a statement, the Zamfara State Command Police Spokesman, SP Mohammed Shehu, said the Commissioner of Police(CP), Zamfara State Police Command, Kolo Yusuf, reassured the general public especially families and the management of university that “efforts were ongoing to rescue the two students of the university abducted by yet to be identified hoodlums in the early hours of sunday as police tactical operatives have intensified search and rescue operation.”

“Information received by the command indicated that, on  April, 2, 2023 at about 0100am, armed bandits stormed Sabon Gida village in Bungudu LGA and broke into a rented female hostel of the university where they locked up the two  civilian guards and dispossessed them of their handsets and later abducted two female student of Microbiology Department of the university.

On receipt of the report, the police tactical team moved to the scene, but the hoodlums had already fled with the victims to an unknown destination.

“The CP has further deployed reinforcement to complement the ongoing rescue operation to rescue the hostages hale and hearty, arrest the perpetrators and charge them to court.

“The CP, therefore, appealed for continuous support from members of the public to enable the police to succeed in the rescue mission,” it said.

Meanwhile, a joint operation undertaken by troops and police operatives repelled an attack by  the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists on a Police outpost in Jakana, Kaga Local Government in Borno State.

It was gathered that about six motorcycles conveying two fighters each dispatched from Jalori and headed to Kagga through Markuba.

Security sources said the attack on the police station began at about 2:30 am when the terrorists mounted General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) and began shooting sporadically at the police.

Sources said that the police stationed at the unit swiftly responded, resulting in a heavy gun battle with the troops deployed to protect the community which lasted for about 30 minutes.

It was further gathered that troops of the 29 Task Force brigade fighting patrol were dispatched to the scene and assisted the police to repel the terror advance forcing them to flee.