A family of six including a six-month old child and a 70-year old
grandmother were yesterday brutally murdered by gunmen at Kumpun village
in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. In Lokoja, capital of
Kogi State, the police command has discovered a hideout in Koto – Karfe
area of the state where guns were being locally manufactured.
In Kano State, the Joint Military Taskforce, JTF, also yesterday
discovered a high calibre Improvised Explosive Devise, IED, in the
premises of Waje Friday Jumat Mosque in Fagge Local Government Area of
the state. The JTF also arrested four persons while allegedly trying to
plant the bomb in the mosque.
This was even as there was pandemonium in the Zone 5 area of Abuja,
yesterday evening, following a bomb scare, with some offices in the
ever-busy environment quickly evacuating as business men and women
also hurriedly closed shops and residents scampered for safety.
Policemen from bomb disposal unit packing defused home made bombs made from cans of soft drinks.
In Minna, Niger State capital and environs, business activities were
also temporarily disrupted yesterday afternoon as rumour of attacks by
members of an Islamic sect, Boko-Haram filtered into town. The rumour
which started barely an hour to the Friday Juma’at Mosque climaxed as
some shop owners closed shops for the day’s business while many traders
at the Kure ultra modern market and other markets around the metropolis
also hurriedly followed suit.
However, six other people were injured in Plateau State when the
assailants suspected to be Fulani herdsmen and said to have numbered
over 30 stormed the village at about 3.30am wielding guns and machetes.
An eyewitness said the attackers killed six members of the Dakibang
family in their sleep and injured two other members of the family who
were hit with machetes as they tried to escape before moving to other
houses in the village where they injured four other people.
They reportedly shot sporadically while some of them attacked those
trying to escape with dangerous weapons and operated for about two hours
before escaping through a bush path.
Security men to whom distress calls were made allegedly arrived at the village an hour after the attackers had gone.
Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. John Clark Dabwang who
visited the affected village to commiserate with them described the
attack as barbaric and wicked.
He wondered why people would hack down fellow human beings in cold
blood and appealed for calm among the people urging them not to carry
out reprisals.
Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent
Emmanuel Abuh confirmed the attack and the six killed adding that
investigations were on to track down the perpetrators.In Kano State, the
Waje Friday Mosque lies within the expanse of land that separate the
predominantly Christian quarters and the indigenous Hausa.
Bomb found in Kano mosque
A statement by JTF spokesman made available to Saturday Vanguard in Kano, Lt Ikediche Iweha stated:
“The attention of the general public is hereby drawn to the latest
desperate and despicable tactics employed by members of the terrorist
sect aimed at causing public disorder and riots in the name of religion.
This afternoon, June 22, 2012, at about 2pm, the attention of the JTF
was called by a careful Nigerian to a suspicious package at a mosque in
Fagge area just before the Friday prayers. Upon examination, the package
turned out to be an IED planted by terrorists to cause death and
grievous harm to worshippers at the Jum’mat prayers.
“This latest attempt is particularly disturbing in view of the wider
implication it would have had on the fragile peace in Kano and the
disruption of economic activities it would have brought with it. It is
also equally disturbing in view of the recent events in parts of Kaduna
State to which Kano boarders.”
Similarly, the Police Public Relation Officer in the state, DSP
Rilwanu Tanimu confirmed the arrest of the four suspects stressing that
they were apprehended after they abandoned the IED stocked in a
polythene bag.
Taminu further explained that a comprehensive investigation has begun
on the matter, adding that the four suspects were in their custody.
Bomb scare in Abuja
As usual with such situations, there were several versions to the
cause of the scare with some people saying that a bag dropped from a
moving vehicle and those by the road side took to their heels.
Another version had it that a bag was dropped near an eatery in the
area where several government offices, and private businesses as well
as, the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, had their headquarters.
Some eyewitnesses said they saw a suspicious bag between Top View
Hotel and the headquarters of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence
Corps office in the area and concluded that it could be an explosive.
The headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, is
located on the other side of the road leading to Alvan Ikoku Way. The
incident which occurred between about 3pm and 5 pm caused traffic
gridlock in the area as one lane had to be closed to traffic.
However, when Anti-Bomb Policemen visited the place, it was confirmed that there no explosive in the said bag.
Locally manufactured arms
The Kogi State police Commissioner, Muhammed Katsina who briefed
newsmen over the incident said three persons, (names withheld), were
arrested at the factory where locally made guns were being manufactured.
Katsina said, the trio who had already confessed to have manufactured
guns of different categories for men of the underworld were arrested by
detectives who swooped on them at their workshop following a tip off.
According to Katsina, 10 locally made single- barreled guns, one
locally made double barreled gun, two manufacturing machines and a gas
cylinder were recovered at the ‘’arms workshop.’’
He further said the state command also arrested two persons, aged 25
and 26 in connection with the kidnapping of a teenage girl, Racheal
Bulus from Jos.
The girl who was a Face book friend of Haruna travelled to see him
only for the two to detain her and call her father asking for N200,000
ransom. The duo according to the police boss were arrested while trying
to withdraw the money from their bank account in Ogane Iyale, Dekina
Local Government of the state
Traders scamper in Minna over rumour of attack
As a result of the rumour of attack, the Friday prayer Mosques which
were usually filled to capacity with adherents of the Islamic faith was
poorly attended as many moslems chose to stay indoors as part of the
rumour indicated that the central mosque was the target of the sect.
Proprietors of private schools, especially those owned by Christians,
who were in session,out of fear called or sent text messages to
parents/guardians to come for their wards as their fears were further
heightened by the presence of soldiers and anti-riot policemen who were
patrolling the town.The situation was chaotic as parents who had their
wards in schools drove recklessly to pick their children, in the
process, causing traffic gridlock along major roads in the city,
especially at the Central Mosque-Sabon-Gari round- about linking the
Obasanjo shopping complex.
Taxis and commercial motorcycle drivers popularly called ‘Okada’ were
not left out in the confusion that ensued. While many simply stopped
business to watch the unfolding events, others made brisk business
charging more than the normal cost for a drop.
Meanwhile, the police in Niger state have advised residents against
spreading rumour over possible attacks and asked them to go about their
normal businesses.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO,,
Pius Edobor, solicited the support and cooperation of Nigerlites in
tackling security challenges by providing the police with useful
information to check criminals and people from cause breach of the
peace.
Edobor described the rumoured attack as one of the gimmicks by
mischief makers and assured residents of the state of their safety at
all times.
No comments:
Post a Comment