Many people have celebrated and
are still celebrating the gift of another year. It has become a custom for many
people especially Christians to meet in their various churches to pray and
welcome the New Year in the presence of God. While many people have
successfully welcomed the New Year and prepared themselves to attain greater
heights, some others who are also expectant of a prosperous year have lost
their lives during the early hours of January 1, 2018. Many were attacked on
their way home after midnight New Year prayers in their churches while others
were attacked in their various worship centres.
At least, 14 persons or more
were murdered in Rivers state, a traditional ruler and his pregnant wife were killed
in Kaduna while in Kwara state, worshipers were attacked by youths who
wanted to organize a New Year carnival.
While many people are
celebrating after ushering in the New Year, a lot of people have been thrown
into mourning as a result of their loved ones that lost their lives in the New
Year mass killings. It is so alarming the rate with which people lose their
lives like animals on daily basis in Nigeria. On my way home with friends after the New Year
midnight prayers, I saw a police security vehicle on patrol and I was happy
that at least the police men are doing their job to ensure that people had a smooth
transition into the New Year. Little did I know that it is not so in some
places.
Police people more than anybody
knows the height of insecurity in this country and should know what to do at
all times. Is it that we don’t have enough policemen in this country to send to
patrol around the cities, towns and villages in this country or what? Is it
that they were deployed but do not know their job or what? Do they lack the
equipment to do their job? Why are they just mobilizing their men to
investigate and restore peace only when the deed has been done? How many times
will things like these happen for the security personnel to sit up and know
what to do in case of another? Are they always learning to do their job?
On this note, read below the
report of the attacks as it happened at Rivers, Kaduna and Kwara state.
According to Punch of January
2, 2018, Some gunmen between 12.10am and 1am embarked on a shooting spree in
Omoku, in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, killing
14 persons.
It was gathered that the
victims had earlier gone to their various churches to pray into the New Year
and were coming back when they were ambushed.
Other people also reportedly
sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to hospitals by other residents of
the community.
Some of those killed during the
mayhem were said to be four members of a family, including a man and his wife.
The incident, according to a
resident of the area who identified himself simply as Ukandu, occured at two
places in the area – Omoku and Aligwu.
He said, “We were shocked to
see some corpses in Aligwu and Omoku. About 14 persons were killed; and some of
them were shot at close range.
There were, however,
conflicting reports on the number of those who sustained gunshot injuries as
some put the number at 24, while others said it was about 30.
A resident of the community,
Desmond, told one of our correspondents that the Monday’s attack could be a
reprisal from a cult.
The state Police Public
Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident and said the
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Zaki, had ordered a manhunt for the
perpetrators of the crime.
The police spokesman added that
he could not immediately speak on the number of casualties of the incident
because he had yet to be told.
“I can confirm the incident,
but at the moment, we cannot confirm the number of casualties. The Deputy
Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations and heads of police units have
been mobilized there to restore peace.
“The Commissioner of Police,
Ahmed Zaki, has ordered a manhunt for the hoodlums so that they can face the
law.”
Omoku has been experiencing
violent crimes since 2014, even as some cult members, who initially embraced
the state government amnesty programme, went back to crime.
A former militant leader,
popularly known as Don Nwanee, had been on the run after security operatives
raided his shrine and discovered over 10 human skulls, weapons and charms.
Monarch,
pregnant wife killed in attack
Gunmen, at the break of the New
Year, invaded Arak village, in the Sango Local Government Area of Kaduna State,
killing the paramount ruler, Etum Numana ll,
Dr Gambo Makama, and his pregnant wife.
Sango, with headquarters at
Gwantu, is hundreds of kilometres away from Kaduna metropolis, and located in
the southern part of Kaduna.
The Monday attack was third in
the series of attacks in the Southern Kaduna within a week.
The first was in Nindem in
Godogodo chiefdom, in the Jema’ah LGA where a lone gunman attacked Christians
observing the Christmas carol on December 23, 2017, killing four persons and
injuring eight others.
In less than 24 hours, gunmen
again attacked a nearby village on Christmas Eve, killing six persons and
injuring several others.
In the latest attack, it was
learnt that the monarch had travelled from his place in Gwantu to celebrate the
New Year with his subjects in his village, Arak, but was murdered around
12.07am.
It was gathered that the
gunmen, who reportedly opened fire on the entire family, including the
monarch’s 45-year-old son, fled into the bush after the attack.
The monarch’s house was said to
have been razed by the attackers, who reportedly wore masks.
The spokesman for the Kaduna
State Police Command, ASP Mukhtar Aliyu, said, “We got a distress call about
4am that armed men stormed the monarch’s house and shot him and his wife.
“The hoodlums also set his
palace ablaze before fleeing. We are intensifying efforts to ensure that we
arrest them.”
The Chairman of Sango
Development, Bala Audu, said the monarch was with his second wife when the
gunmen invaded his home.
The chairman said, “The
traditional ruler was seated with his second wife, who was pregnant. The
gunmen, who covered their faces with masks, suddenly invaded the house and
opened fire on them.”
The state Governor, Mallam
Nasir el-Rufai, on Monday condemned the attack and ordered security operatives
to fish out the attackers. He said the attack was a
calculated threat to peace in the area and the entire state.
The governor, in a statement by
his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said, “The
late Etum Numana was a peacemaker. The government commiserates with the
immediate family of the royal father and his wife, the people of Numana
Chiefdom and the entire Sango Local Government Area.
“The government has directed
security agencies to investigate this criminal incident and bring the
assailants to justice.”
“We urge the people of Numana
Chiefdom to remain calm and to support the security agencies as they
investigate this latest threat to the hard-won peace in the area.”
Youths
attack worshipers in Ilorin
Scores of people were on Monday
injured after an attack on both Christian and Muslim worship centres allegedly
by youths from the Taiwo Isale area of Ilorin, Kwara State.
While the Kwara State Police
Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, said three people were injured,
the Special Adviser on Security to the Kwara State Governor, Amusa Bello, said
no fewer than 25 people were injured. There was, however, no report of any
death.
Our correspondent gathered that
the youths were prevented by the community leaders in the area from embarking
on what they termed, ‘New Year carnival,’ around 2am for fear of the carnival
turning into a security threat, owing to previous experiences.
Sources said the youths
resorted to throwing bangers indiscriminately at all gatherings in the
vicinity, including religious gatherings celebrating the New Year.
It was gathered that churches
in the area and a Muslim group, called Quareeb, were attacked.
Property belonging to the
churches and the United Secondary School in Taiwo Isale were also damaged.
A statue of Mary was burnt,
while another was smashed at the St, Joseph Catholic Church, Taiwo Isale. Some
windows and other property of the church, as well as a car were vandalized.
The hoodlums also destroyed
property at the Methodist Church, Taiwo Isale.
Also, the building where some
Muslims were holding a session was vandalized, while some of the faithful were
injured.
The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji
Abdulfatah Ahmed condemned the attack. Ahmed in a statement by his Chief Press
Secretary, Abdulwahaab Oba, described the attack as criminal, satanic and alien
to the state.
He commended people who
protected some of the victims regardless of their religious inclination.
He also called on security
agencies to investigate the incident and unravel the perpetrators of the
“unholy act” with a view to bringing them to book.
Ahmed said, “Peace is sine qua
non for the development of any society and the government will not tolerate any
act capable of breaching the peace, unity and tranquility of the state.”
The Speaker of the state House
of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, also condemned the attack.
Ahmad in a statement by his
Chief Press Secretary, AbdulRahman Sanni, called for calm.
According to him, the attack
was not religious, but was carried out by hoodlums, who must be brought to book
to serve as a deterrent to others.
He said peace was pivotal to
the socio-economic transformation of the state and commended the state
Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ado Lawan, for sending police officers and urged
him to commence full-scale investigations into the incident.
He stated that Kwara State
would not compromise on sustaining peaceful coexistence of the residents.
The Kwara State Police Public
Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, said 10 suspects had been arrested in
connection with the attack.
Okasanmi said, “The Kwara State
Police Command wishes to assure the people of Kwara State of its capacity to
deal decisively with anybody arrested for being a part of the breakdown of law
and order that was witnessed in the Taiwo Isale area of Ilorin.
“At about 2am of today
(Monday), some youths were prevented from carrying out what was termed New Year
carnival and in protest to the denial, the youths resorted to throwing bangers
indiscriminately at all gatherings in the vicinity, including religious
gatherings celebrating the New Year. Three persons were injured in the
resulting stampede.
“The Catholic, Methodist
churches and other churches in the area, as well as a Muslim group, Quareeb,
were attacked.
“It is important to note, that
the attack has no religious undertone. It is simply an unlawful act by the
disgruntled youths of the area, as both the Christian and Muslim gatherings in
the area were attacked.
“Ten suspects have been
arrested, while the injured had been taken to hospitals. Investigation into the matter has commenced.”
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