Bandits kill eight, behead one, B’Haram hits UN facility, murders four in Borno

Also, no fewer than four people, including a soldier, were killed when Boko Haram launched an attack on United Nations and other humanitarian facilities in Damasak, Borno State.

Plateau State was again the killing field in Nigeria’s rising insecurity after a period of calm, as some unidentified gunmen reportedly killed eight persons and beheaded one when they attacked a mining site at (Kapitex), Shawalan Kuru at Jos South Local Government Area at the weekend.

Boko Haram also invaded Kwapre, a part of Garha, the home village of the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, rendering at least 6,000 persons homeless.

Reacting to the development, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State described the attack as another desperate attempt by criminals to destabilise the state and create fear among the people.

He said the government will not condone such attacks on innocent citizens, and directed security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act which is capable of disrupting the substantial peace prevailing in the state.

While commiserating with the families of dead and other victims who sustained injuries, Lalong reiterated his charge to security agencies to resolve such attacks as excuses of “unknown gunmen” will no longer be tolerated.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham, spokesman of Governor Lalong in a statement, advised the citizens to assist law enforcement agencies with useful intelligence, leveraging on structures such as the Traditional Institutions, Community Police Constabulary, vigilante groups and other associations.

Also, Hon Dachung Yohanna Choji, Management Committee Chairman, Jos South LGA together with the security operatives in the LGA yesterday went on a condolence visit to the Kuru community following the unfortunate attack and killings.

Hon Choji and the Councilor, Jos South House, Hon Emmanuel Jang, who had been on ground went to where the corpses were deposited to condole with the respective families and relatives of the victims.

They later visited the mining site at Kapitex Shawalan Kuru District where the ugly incident happened.

There, they commiserate with Gwom Rwei Kuru (The royal father) Kuru Da Patrick Mandung and the Dagwom Kushe Da Pius Jugu and the Kuru Development Association (KUDA) President, Mr. Justin kwon.

At the Gwom Kuru’s palace, he appealed for calm among the people. He also urged the people to be on alert always and promised to carry out a detailed investigation on the attack.

Also, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Plateau, A.S Tafida, who represented the Commissioner of Police, commiserated with the entire Jos South people, especially the Kuru community.

He appealed for calm and cooperation amongst them and advised them not to take laws into their hands as they promised to work with their leaders to carry out discreet investigations and bring the culprits to book.

In his response, the Gwom Rwei Kuru Da Patrick Mandung appreciated the chairman and the security operatives for commiserating with his people over the sad incident.

On the attack on United Nations and other humanitarian facilities in Damasak, Borno State, it was gathered that the terror group, from the camp of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) late Saturday stormed the town to set fire on facilities of international aid organisations. ISWAP claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted an army camp killing two soldiers before raiding the town, according to the SITE agency that monitors jihadist communiques.

A top security source told AFP that at least four people, including a soldier, were killed in the attack.

The attack is the second in two months affecting one of nine United Nations hubs in the country where the terror group are engaged in a more than decade-long insurgency which has killed 36,000 people and forced around two million to flee their homes.

“The general situation within Damasak is relatively calm, but unpredictable,” an aid worker with an international charity said.

UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria Edward Kallon condemned the attack and said in a statement that humanitarian operations for displaced people in the town would be reduced because of the violence.

The militants who tried to overrun a military base in the town were subdued with aerial support and “made to retreat” after three hours of fighting, a military source said.

“A soldier was killed and two more were injured in the encounter,” the military officer said, adding that five ISWAP gun trucks were destroyed in the fight.

The insurgents also burnt the local police station in the Damasak attack.

At least three women were killed when a projectile hit a house where they had gone for a wedding ceremony, said another aid worker.

Four civilians were also injured. Residents who fled towards the Niger border to escape the attack returned to the town on Sunday.

Apart from offices of humanitarian aid agencies, the insurgents burnt the house of the local chief, a medical facility, an ambulance and an operational vehicle of an aid agency, according to the two aid workers.

Damasak has repeatedly been targeted by ISWAP militants who have made several failed attempts to overrun a military outpost outside the town. ISWAP, which split from the jihadist group Boko Haram in 2016, has become a dominant threat in Nigeria, attacking soldiers and bases while killing and kidnapping passengers at bogus checkpoints.

On March 1, ISWAP overran a UN hub in Dikwa, killing six civilians and forcing aid workers to temporarily retreat from the town despite urgent humanitarian needs. Due to worsening security, humanitarian workers in Nigeria are struggling to provide aid, with the number of people requiring urgent assistance forecast to rise to 8.7 million this year.

Security sources and that of ADSEMA collaborated that no fewer than 6,000 persons are displaced after Boko Haram members attacked the community which is under Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Friday night. Dr Mohammed Sulaiman, the executive secretary of the agency, announced this in Yola on Sunday, noting that the displacement affected many other neighbouring communities in the area of Garha, Kwapre and it’s environs.

He recalled that the insurgents came in nine vehicles on Friday to attack Kwapre village in Dugwaba District of Hong Local Government Area.

He also said that the insurgents surrounded the village and killed seven people, including three children. Urges FG To Constitute Commission Of Inquiry, Compensate Victims “During the attack, 50 houses, worship centres, markets and schools were burnt.

Many people, including women, girls and men, were kidnapped by the attackers. However, we received a report that eight persons among the kidnapped victims escaped.”

“The displaced during the attack are taking refugee in nearby villages,” he said. Mr Simon Yakubu, the District Head of Dugwaba, told the newsmen in Yola that the attackers invaded the village at about 1 p.m. and started shooting sporadically.

“During the attack that lasted for more than two hours, more than 20 persons are injured and no fewer than 20 persons are kidnapped by the attackers. Places of worship, schools, shops food stores and village head house were destroyed”, Yakubu said.

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He said that the injured had been receiving treatment at Hong General Hospital, while two persons who were critically injured by gunshot had been referred to Federal Medical Centre, Yola.

According to him, many villages in Dugwaba district, including Kwapre are few kilometres away from Sambisa forest where insurgents use for attacks. During the attack they insurgents invaded the only mosque in the village and the imam who started running on sighting the gunmen was shot and he died on the spot.

Mr James Pukuma, Chairman, Hong Local Government Area, said that normalcy has returned to the area as security and local security groups had been deployed to protect lives and property.

He called on the people of the area to be vigilant and report any suspicious move to the nearest security agency for quick response.

DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Adamawa, confirmed the attack. While speaking on the event he said the Police received the news of the attack but refer it to the army base in Hong LGA.