ALERTS DATE
The following section illustrates the date alerts were reported on Tuesday, 17th January, 2023.
BANDITRY
- Bandits are said to have killed three people and kidnapped six others, including a pregnant woman, at Jajar Kanwa village in Katsina State’s Jibia LGA. Three additional people were said to have escaped with gunshot wounds. According to residents, two of the victims died on the spot, but a woman died later in a hospital in Katsina, where she was taken for medical attention following the attack. Similarly, the bandits stole an unspecified number of goats and sheep after imposing a N20,000 levy on each resident. According to the residents of the community, the levy must be paid within one week or they will face another attack.
- Bandits kidnapped six women and two men in Unguwar Alkasim village, near the Foundation area on the Kaduna-Zaria road in Kaduna State’s Igabi LGA. The bandits attacked the community in the early hours of Monday, shooting to scare the villagers away. Fear had descended on the village, according to a resident. Last week, bandits kidnapped four housewives and killed two others in Unguwar Awo village, near Unguwar Alkasim village. In the attack, two other villagers were shot.
- The Niger State Commissioner of Police has visited Lambata, Gurara LGA, in connection with the killing of the village head in his residence on Saturday afternoon. While expressing condolences to the deceased’s family, the CP assured them that the perpetrators of the act would be apprehended and held accountable for their actions. He admonished the family against any form of revenge and to allow the criminal justice system to take its course in ensuring that justice prevailed.
- The Commissioner of Police in Niger State paid a visit to Kafin-Koro in Paikoro LGA, where a Catholic priest was burnt to death in his home by bandits on Sunday. When the attackers were unable to gain access, they set fire to the house, killing the religious leader. A colleague of the Rev. Father was also shot in the shoulder while trying to escape from the scene.
- On Monday, the Katsina State Police Command released information about five women abducted by terrorists in Gidan Haruna, Maitsauni village, Kankara LGA. Those abducted were Rabi Isyaku, 15; Rabi Sa’idu, 36; Rabi Babba, 49; Saratu Hadi and Nusaiba Shuaibu, 27; and a 13 year-old girl respectively. The command, on the other hand, assured that police operatives were following the bandits in order to rescue the kidnapped victims.
COUNTER TERRORISM ACTION
- According to reports, the military assassinated two wanted Boko Haram commanders, Abu Ubaida and Mallam Yusuf Abba. They were defeated along with about 40 of their foot soldiers at an abandoned warehouse in Kurebe, a popular community in Niger State’s Shiroro Local Government Area. According to a military report released on Monday, Abu Ubaida and Abba were killed when airstrikes conducted by a Nigerian Air Force, NAF, aircraft attached to Operation Whirl Punch raided their enclave recently. Because of the aforementioned airstrike, preliminary investigations using various sources revealed that there was an underground in the warehouse where the terrorists ran to hide whenever a NAF aircraft flew over the area.
- The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Zamfara State Command announced the arrest of a POS operator for allegedly making financial transactions on behalf of bandits. The state commandant said in a statement on Monday that the suspect was apprehended while carrying out the transaction in Birnin Tsaba community, Zurmi LGA of the state. He stated that the operatives recovered two POS machines, and that the suspect admitted that the machines were purchased for him by a bandit leader. He explained that the suspect admitted to using the POS machine only to conduct business on behalf of his client bandits.
KIDNAPPING
- The Nigerian military has deployed troops at Anambra State’s entry and exit points, particularly in and around Onitsha. The soldiers are searching vehicles and combing locations after unknown gunmen abducted an operative of the Nigerian Navy. A Lieutenant from the Navy was kidnapped on Sunday around 6:30 p.m., along with an unknown number of civilians. Currently serving at Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OLOGBO, he was on transit from Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital. A military official confirmed that the Navy and others were ambushed in Onitsha’s Upper Iweka area.
- Terrorists kidnapped the Vice Chairman of Katsina State’s Musawa Local Government Area on Monday. Residents said the Vice Chairman was kidnapped along with one other person by terrorists who stormed his village, Kira, in the council’s Jimkamshi ward, around 1 a.m. on Monday. The Katsina State Police Command spokesman confirmed the incident. He revealed that the police had rescued one person and that efforts were being made to rescue the vice chairman of the council.
SHOOTING (GUNMEN)
- Gunmen attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, office in Enugu South Local Government Area, Enugu State, on Sunday night, killing one police officer and injuring another. INEC National Commissioner who disclosed this in a statement, on Monday, said, The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Enugu State has reported that gunmen attacked our office in Enugu South LGA. The incident happened at 9:12 p.m. on January 15, 2023. The security gatehouse was razed. Fortunately, the attackers were unable to gain access to the main building due to the quick response of police and army personnel from the 82 Division.
- The police in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, have launched a manhunt for gunmen who attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Enugu and killed a police officer stationed there. The state police spokesperson, who revealed this in a statement on Monday, said the state Commissioner of Police gave the directive to the operatives.
