No fewer than 40 persons, including four soldiers, 14 policemen, two vigilantes and 19 herders were killed on Monday in fresh attacks by gunmen in Anambra, Imo, Kebbi, Rivers and Kebbi States.
They attackers invaded Ukpomachi village, Awkuzu in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State and reportedly killed 19 persons believed to be herders, killed 23 cows and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
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Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, South East Zone, Gidado Sidikki, said the 19 victims include children.
“As I speak to you now, the dead bodies are with us at Amasea community in Awka North local government area. Children between 1 and 2 years old, whose parents were killed in the attack, are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the state”, Sidikki stated.
He, however, appealed to his members not to react but allow the police and other security agencies to do their work to unravel the circumstances surrounding the ungodly attacks.
But the spokesman of the state police command, Ikenga Tochukwu, said only nine people were killed, adding that investigation had commenced.
Bandits sack 50 Niger villages, Boko Haram hoists flag — Bello
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, on Monday said over 50 villages in five local government areas of the state had been deserted by its residents owing to bandit attacks.
Bello said this in Minna when he declared open a two-day workshop on strategies for enhancing internally generated revenue of local government councils.
“As we speak we have not less than 50 villages deserted across 5 local governments now; where do we get the resources to take care of them if 80% of our resources go to those that do not add value to the system?”
Bello also said Boko Haram terrorists had hoisted their flag at Kaure village in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
He said this in Minna when he visited the IDPs Camp at the IBB Primary School near the Palace of Emir of Minna.
He said: “I’m confirming that there are Boko Haram elements around Kaure in Shiroro local government of Niger state. They’ve taken over the territory, they’ve installed their flags. I’m confirming to you now that they’ve taken over the wives of people by force and attached to Boko Haram members.”
He said Boko Haram terrorists were trying to make Kaure their home and headquarters like they did to Sambisa forest, adding that while Sambisa forest is several kilometers away from Abuja, Kaure is only two hours’ drive to the nation’s capital.
“I’ve been engaging the federal government and unfortunately it has gotten to this stage and if care is not taken even Abuja is not safe. We’ve been saying this for long and all efforts have been in vain,” he said.
It was learned that as of Monday, there were 1447 children, 119 pregnant women and 447 other women at the camp.
Bandits kill 9 policemen, 2 vigilantes in Kebbi
Bandits killed nine policemen, including a Divisional Police Officer as well as two vigilantes at Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State on Sunday.
A resident of Sakaba told Daily Trust that the bandits invaded the villages on the fringes of the Kebbi State boundary.
He said on receiving information about the invasion, the DPO and eight other policemen as well as two vigilantes went after the bandits but were killed in a gun duel.
The spokesman of the state police command, Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed the incident and said the bodies of the victims were retrieved on Monday.
4 soldiers killed in fresh Rivers attack
Four soldiers were feared dead while two others sustained bullet injuries on Monday in Abua, Abua/Odual local government of Rivers State when gunmen attacked a motorcade conveying oil workers to Omelema.
Residents of the area said the gunmen ambushed the company’s vehicle conveying the staff of the company to a flow station in the community.
Daily Trust reports that gunmen had on Saturday night attacked several security checkpoints in Isiokpo and Omagwa, killing soldiers, police and customs personnel on guard along the stretch.
The spokesman of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Major Charles Ekeochas, did not respond to a text message sent to him on the issue.
However, the spokesman of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident, but could not give details.
5 officers killed, 1 missing as gunmen attack Imo police station
Gunmen on Monday attacked the Okigwe South Police Area Command headquarters in Imo State and killed five officers.
One other officer was said to be missing after the attack which happened at about 7 pm.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the incident.
In a terse statement, Ikeokwu said: “I can confirm an attack on Okigwe South area command headquarters by yet-to-be identified gunmen. Five officers have been killed; while one is yet to be accounted for.”
Ikeokwu said that the building was not razed contrary to speculation.
The incident happened less than 24 hours after soldiers shot a student opposite the Imo Government House.
2 killed in Lagos
In Lagos, two persons were reportedly killed and many others injured on Monday during a clash between commercial motorcyclists and transport union members at Iyana-Oba, on the Mile 2- Badagry Expressway.
It was learned that some urchins working for a transport union had seized a motorcycle from a rider of Hausa extraction around 9 am for allegedly refusing to pay the newly introduced hike in ticket money from N200 to N500 which the union sells to them.
The owner of the motorcycle was said to have resisted the move to impound his bike, an attempt which drew the attention of other union members to the scene.
Within seconds, hell was let loose as other Hausa riders stopped to rescue their members.
Soldiers from Ojo cantonment were drafted to protect their facility, while policemen from Ojo and Okomaiko Police stations were drafted to restore normalcy.
The spokesman of the state police command, Muyiwa Adejobi, said normalcy had since returned to the area.
By: Romoke W. Ahmad (Minna), Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt), Eugene Agha (Lagos), Titus Eleweke (Awka), Jude Aguguo Owuamanam (Owerri) & Aliyu M. Hamagam (Birnin Kebbi)
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