Standup9ja: Vigilante group battles kidnappers, bandits, kills 10 in Niger
Youth vigilante group popularly known as
'Yan-sa-kai' said it on Saturday attacked kidnappers’ den at Doguwar
Guna forest near Pandogari in Rafi killing 10, recovered 17 motorcycles
and 70 rustled cows.
The head of the
group, Malam Sani Abdullahi Banmi told Daily Trust on phone on Tuesday
hat they decided to moblise and attack the kidnappers and bandits
inhabiting the vast forest reserves stretching from Alawa through
Kongoma and Pandagori following series of attacks on communities in the
areas.
Malam Banmi, who had been
assisting the military and the police in several operations including
espionage, intelligence gathering, arrest, location identification, said
he moblised about 500 vigilantes from Birinin Gwari, Udawa and Madawaki
to carry out the operations.
He said his members
spent three days in the forest during the operation, adding that they
also recovered a generator, stabilizer and other items from the bandits.
He noted that his
group could flush out kidnappers and other bandits terrorizing villagers
in parts of Shiroror, Sarkin Pawa and Rafi local government areas
of Niger State if the state government would empower them.
When asked whether
security operatives were part of the operation, Malam Banmi said the
vigilantes went in with the support of the traditional council and the
Rafi local government leadership.
The District Head of
Kongoma, Alhaji Idris Aliyu confirmed the operation, saying the
traditional council and the leadership of Rafi local government area
support it after series of attacks on communities and kidnap of many
residents.
He acknowledged that
the state government has been doing its best to rid the area of bandits
but said it was obvious that government cannot do it alone.
“The operation was
the outcome of meeting involving the traditional council and leadership
of Rafi local government area as well as other stakeholders based on
public outcry over series of attacks and kidnapping of residents,” he
said.
When contacted the
state police command public relation officer, ASP Mohammed Abubakar
Dan-Inna also confirmed the incident but said it was a joint operation
between the military, police and vigilantes.
Our correspondent
recalls that gunmen had last Thursday kidnapped a Sharia Judge in the
area barely three days after seven people were kidnapped and three
others killed.
No comments:
Post a Comment