• Seized chairman regains freedom, the monarch still in captivity
• Berom youths decry member’s murder
• Military eliminates dozens of ISWAP terrorists in Yobe
• Kebbi gov visits victims of banditry, donates relief materials
Bokkos Local Government Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Jerry Fwankis, who was abducted by unknown gunmen from his Tangur village home, in Bokkos Council of Plateau State, on Sunday evening, September 25, has been rescued.
The family was silent on ransom payment. It is believed that the abduction may have been executed by locals, whose demand, sources noted, would range from N100,000 to N300,000.
The State Party Publicity Secretary John Akans (JP) had in a statement, expressed PDP’s sadness on the development.
Another statement on the chairman’s release, yesterday morning, by Akans, said the leadership of the party was grateful to God Almighty and the community for their vigilance.
He noted that after the chairman was rescued on Sunday night, he was immediately placed on admission at a medical facility in Bokkos.
The spokesman said: “As a responsible party, our heart is truly broken and saddened over the incessant killings and kidnappings across the state.
“We sympathise with Tangur community and Bokkos Council and indeed, Plateau State, over this unprovoked attack and to the immediate family of Mapack Linus, who was shot dead last night by the terrorists. Please, accept our heartfelt sympathy, as our prayers and thoughts are with you.”
In a related development, one Bature Solomon, on Sunday, reported that the son of his nephew had been matched to death by unknown gunmen at Bangai village in Riyom Council of the state.
Reacting to the 7.30 pm killing, the Coordinator of Crisis Mitigation Mediation Regional Council (CMMRC) in Plateau State, Sadeeq Hongs, confirmed that troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) were on ground to restore normalcy.
Similarly, the Golong Tal, HRH Nanleng Yusuf Gotus of the Pankshin Council of the state was also kidnapped same Sunday.
But a family source told The Guardian that the kidnappers called yesterday morning demanding N50 million for the royal father to regain his freedom.
The family said they could not raise such a huge amount, begging the captors to review that demand to the range of N2 million.
According to them, the abductors declined, saying the amount was belittling. Also, there was an attack on Sunday night at Jannaret, a border town between Mangu and Pankshin Councils where three people were shot. One of the victims died, while the rest two are currently receiving treatment.
A source claimed that the attackers were Fulani herdsmen, who came to avenge their men arrested by security agencies last week.
They (attackers), the source added, believed the vigilantes were the ones that revealed their hideouts to security personnel.
THIS is even as the Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri-led Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM) condemned the gruesome murder of 23-year-old Alpha Pam Baren, an indigene of Bangai village in Bachi District of Riyom Council of Plateau in another ambush by Fulani militias.
The body’s National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, in a statement, said they got a report from the community that the suspects laid an ambush and stabbed Baren to death at about 2:23 p.m. on the same fateful Sunday.
He said before the unfortunate incident, the deceased alongside his father and others spotted cows grazing on their rice farm and they had driven out the animals belonging to an identified Fulani leader in the area.
Tengwong said: “This carnage is coming six days after a 60-year-old woman by the name Laraba Dauda of Mere village in Rahoss community of Riyom LGA was attacked and killed by a group of Fulani militias when she reportedly went into the bush to fetch firewood for cooking.”
In Kaduna State, terrorists invaded Birnin Gwari communities, killing three persons and kidnapping 22 others. The assailants equally stole three motorcycles belonging to farmers.
In a statement, the chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Alhaji Ishaq Usman Kasai, said, “armed bandits continue to attack locals, particularly farmers in different communities in Birnin-Gwari LGA of Kaduna State.”
He went on: “On Saturday, September 2022 around 7:30 p.m., the armed bandits invaded Hayin Gada of Damari community in Kazage ward, killed two locals (Sanusi Zubairu and Kabiru Zubairu) and kidnapped 12 persons. The bandits also loot shops in the same community during the attack.
“On same Saturday, another group of armed bandits killed one and kidnapped six persons at FARM CENTER located on Birnin-Gwari/Kaduna Road,” adding: “The bandits also kidnapped four others at Dajin JANGALI and seized three motorcycles (Bajaj model) from farmers at Kamfanin Doka area.”
ALSO yesterday, troops of the 27 Task Force Battalion, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), reportedly neutralise dozens of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at Wulle village in Sasawa Forest of Yobe State.
The insurgents were eliminated at the weekend while converging on the settlement in gun trucks and motorcycles to attack the nearest military post.
Confirming the incident, in Maiduguri, a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, said acting on intelligence, the troops fired several artillery at the terrorists.
According to him, the soldiers ended up killing dozens of terrorists in their hideout.
In Borno State, ISWAP, however, killed a civilian JTF member and injured four others in Benisheikh Township, headquarters of Kaga Council.
Benisheikh, which is 72 kilometres west of Maiduguri, was severally attacked by Boko Haram between 2014 and 2016, torching health centres, schools and homes.
Makama told The Guardian that the terrorists sneaked into the town on motorcycles in the early hours of Sunday.
Besides the killing of the civilian JTF personnel, he added that the terrorists engaged security agents in a fierce gun battle that lasted for over an hour.
FURTHER, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has pledged that his administration would shoulder the welfare of insurgency victims in Kebbi and neighbouring states.
He made the promise yesterday when he paid a sympathy visit to the refugee camp at Grain Hausa in Danko Wasagu Council of the state, even as reiterated his resolve to make Kebbi crime-free.
Bagudu, who visited all victims in the difficult terrains, recalled that banditry, terrorism and their likes were alien to the state.
The highpoint of the tour was the donation of relief materials to the affected indigenes.
