Bandits: We’ll kill train passengers if FG fails to meet our demands; Records video at Army base + Photo
The bandits who abducted passengers on a Kaduna-bound train last month have threatened to kill them if the Federal Government fails to meet their demands.
In a video released on Wednesday, the armed men said they were not interested in money, adding that the Federal Government knows what they were asking for.
The video, which was less then two minutes, had four of the bandits with one of the abducted passengers: Alwan Hassan, Managing Director of Bank of Agriculture.
One of them, who spoke in Hausa, said the MD was released due to his age and in the spirit of Ramadan. Daily Trust observed that the terrorists, clad in military uniform, made the video at the Forward Operational Base in Polwire, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, which was attacked on Monday.
One of the Armoured Personnel Carriers that was burnt during the attack was used as a background in the video.
The spokesman said: “We are the group that kidnapped passengers on the train few days ago.
“Among them is this man that was pleading with us due to his old age and we felt pity on him due to the month of Ramadan, so, we want to give him back to his family.
“But the government should not misunderstand this, as it is a gesture we made because of the pity we had on him.”
The bandits then asked the MD to make some remarks.
Speaking briefly, Hassan said he was released out of pity.
He said: “I want to witness to everyone that they took pity on me due to my old age.
“I was told to go out but I want to assure everyone that I left huge number of people behind and they are in situation that requires help for them to be released fast.
“I hope that government will meet the head of this group to release as them as soon as possible.”
One of the bandits added: “I want to reiterate that what he said is true.
“Don’t try to try to investigate us immediately …
Just In: Kidnapped Kaduna Catholic priest regains freedom
Rev. Fr. Joseph Danjuma Shekari abducted by bandits on Sunday night, has regained his freedom.
The bandits had stormed the St. Monica’s Catholic Church, Ikulu Parish, in the Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State and kidnapped the priest at 11:30pm on Sunday night.
The bandits killed one of his aides – the cook- during the attack.
But in less than 24 hours after the attack that claimed the life of the priest’s cook, the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan on Tuesday announced the release of the priest by the bandits. The Chancellor, Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Uchechukwu Okolo, in a statement, said the priest was released by his abductors around 10:30pm on Monday. The statement read, “With hearts filled with joy, we raise our voices in a symphony of praises as we announce the return of our brother, Rev. Fr. Joseph Danjuma Shekari, who was abducted by armed persons from the Rectory at St. Monica’s Catholic Church Ikulu in Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, on Sunday February 6, 2022.
“Fr. Shekari was released around 10.30pm on Monday February 7, 2022.
“As we pray for the repose of the soul of his cook who was killed during the attack, we want to thank all those who have offered prayers and entreaties for his release.
“We pray God to hasten the release of those who are still in the hands of their captors.
“All our Priests are directed to kindly celebrate Mass of Thanksgiving to God for the quick release of Fr. Shekari as well as Mass for the dead and for the departed cook of Fr. Shekari.”…
Scores of bandits killed as NAF jets strike Sokoto, Katsina forests
Military troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI have neutralized several bandits and destroyed their hideouts at Sokoto and Katsina forests in the North West, PRNigeria reports.
A military source told PRNigeria that the mission was achieved through air strikes executed on October 5, 2021.
This was after series of aerial surveillance missions had identified the locations of the bandits.
In Sokoto, airstrikes from the Nigerian Air Force shelled Mashema, Yanfako, Gebe and Gatawa Forests located in Isaa and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas of the State. The military source said: “We observed that structures and logistics items camouflaged under the dense vegetation were being used as staging areas where some bandits from Turji and Maigona Camps and their fighters meet to plan and launch attacks.
Accordingly, the Theatre dispatched a force package of Air Force fighter jets and helicopter gunships to engage the locations.
“According to local sources in the area, the attack aircraft scored devastating hits in the target areas, destroying some structures and neutralising several of the Bandits.
“The fleeing Bandits survivors were seen by some locals taking refuge in a primary school in Bafarawa Village.”
In Katsina State, PRNigeria gathered that bandits’ hideouts in Ranch 10 parts of Rugu forest bordering Kankara Local Government Area were bombarded by NAF fighter aircraft between September 30 and October 3, 2021.
The banditry camp of one Gajere (SNU) was destroyed and 34 bandits killed in the attack.
Also, about 20 suspected bandit sustained varying degree of injuries.
. PRNigeria.…
Niger Police gun down bandits’ chief informant Buba Baromi
The operatives of the Police anti-banditry team in Niger State have gunned down a notorious bandits’ informant, Buba Baromi.
Baromi was killed at his hideouts in Damba Forest, in the state.
PRNigeria gathered that local hunters led the Police to the hideouts of Baromi where he was recuperating from a gunshot wound, he had sustained in previous encounters with security personnel.
An intelligence officer involved in the operation told PRNigeria that Baromi was not only an informant but also led bandits to targets of attacks and kidnapping. “Shehu Buba Baromi was notorious in providing information to bandits, as well as leading them to targets of attacks, abductions and cattle rustling.
“In the middle of August 2021, he led bandits to rustle cattle and launch attacks on villages at Dogon Fadama, where innocent lives were also lost.
“It was in one of the encounters with policemen that he sustained a bullet wound and escaped to Damba Forest, where he was being treated.
“However, the police on Tuesday, stormed the forest and engaged the bandits protecting him, and gunned him down.
“His corpse has been deposited in the hospital so that his victims and those who knew his notoriety would be satisfied with his death,” he said.…
Avocado farmers take up arms as Mexico violence spikes
A convoy of vigilantes snakes along a road in western Mexico, vowing to defend their avocado orchards from gangs sowing terror in a country reeling from a new wave of bloodshed.
Armed with assault rifles and other firearms, the masked men travel between plantations and maintain checkpoints in Ario de Rosales in Michoacan state, the scene of a bloody cartel turf war.
Before they began patrolling the area, residents lived in fear of kidnapping, extortion and theft of avocados, according to a member of the self-defense group Pueblos Unidos, which says it has 700 members.
“We need to be armed to defend ourselves,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity, wearing a badge reading “Down with injustice, no more dead.”
Previously, criminals “came to do what they wanted to us, and that doesn’t happen anymore,” he added.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador opposes such self-defense groups — a phenomenon that dates back to 2013 — saying that some of them have become fronts for criminals.
Such comments are not well received in Ario de Rosales, where another Pueblos Unidos member says the president should “get his shoes dirty” to discover the reality of life in the area, where the Jalisco New Generation and Los Viagras cartels operate.
The police and military “feared the criminals or were paid by them to do nothing,” said another vigilante who gave his name as Martin.
‘Hugs not bullets’
It is estimated that there are around 50 such self-defense groups in Mexico, which has seen intensifying violence in recent months, notably in Michoacan and the northern states of Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
Mexico registered 14,243 murders in the first five months of the year, and the bloodshed has shown no sign of stopping since then.
On June 19, alleged members of the Gulf Cartel shot dead 15 people described by the government as innocent victims in the border city of Reynosa in Tamaulipas.
Four attackers were killed by the police.
One hitman who was arrested said that the massacre sought to “heat up the plaza” …
Bandits confirm 121 Bethel Baptist School pupils in their custody
Abductors of pupils of Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State have said the have 121 of them in their custody.
The President of Kaduna Baptist Conference and Proprietor of the school, Rev. Yahaya Adamu Jangado, revealed this.
Jangado announced this while addressing reporters on Tuesday after a meeting of the management and parents of the abducted students in Kaduna.
He said: “They came and, already, the bandits were going away with a number of our students and there was an exchange of fire between the soldiers and the bandits.
“For now, we know that we have 154 students in the school hostel, as at yesterday (Monday), after the exchange of fire between the soldiers and the bandits.
“We came to the school and recovered 28 students; some of them hid in many places.
“In the course of taking them away, some students escaped and came back to the school.
“So, the total number of students we recovered on Monday was 28.
“Today (Tuesday), by the grace of God, we had a call from the bandits and they assured us that our children are well and doing okay.
“In fact, we had the privilege of speaking with a few of them.
“They counted themselves in the jungle and they gave us information that they are 121.
“When we put the number together with what we have recovered, we discovered that the number is exactly the same with the number of students we had in the hostel.”
On ransom demand, Jangado said: “They (bandits) called us to say that our children are there with them and that they were doing well.
“They were sound.
“We spoke with a few of them.
“That is the information for now.
“We called the parents here to appreciate them for their patience, understanding and calmness and also solicit their support in this trying moment.
“We assure them that as management we will do anything possible to bring back their children.”…
Bandits kill 93 in Zamfara, gov calls for self-defence
Bandits have again killed 93 people in Kadawa village of Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, while many others were severely wounded.
A local, Mallam Muhammadu Dansani, who narrowly escaped being killed, told Saturday PUNCH on the phone that the incident happened between Thursday night and Friday morning.
“The bandits are non-Nigerians. They spoke French and wore long-plaited hair. Most of them were dark and short,” he said.
Dansani lamented that security personnel were nowhere to be found during the hours of the attack.
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Husaini Rabiu, said he had visited the scene of the crime in company with the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Rabiu also said those that were killed had been buried according to Islamic rites.
He said, “I visited the scene and mobilised our men to secure the area. Those killed had been buried according to Islamic rites.
“I cannot say the exact number of those that were killed, but the Divisional Police Officer counted over 40 corpses. I visited the area in company with the speaker of the state house of assembly.”
Rabiu described the incident as worrisome, adding that the attackers did not want the farmers to cultivate “anything without paying them money.” Earlier, the spokesman for the state police command, Mohammed Shehu, had told our correspondent that some corpses were brought to Gusau for burial.…