The military in Niger state on Thursday, August 4th, 2016, in the thick of night and in the wee hours of the morning, invaded Kpaidna, Legbe-dagma, Bambe, Kopa, Lunku and surrounding villages in Bosso Local Government area of the state, a very peaceful community in my constituency, Niger East Senatorial District.

The armed soldiers drawn from the 31 Artillery Brigade in Minna and the Airforce base in Bosso, stormed the villages in a brutal commando style at about 1:00 am, waking up the sleeping villagers, causing distress and inflicting pains on them.

The military has not given any cogent reason(s) for this crude invasion and brutality of my people, however I am of the belief that the claim that the villagers had piled up arms in their homes upon which the armed soldiers hinged a seal off and search operation in the village, is not tenable and totally unacceptable in a democratic government.

For the avoidance of doubt I would like to inform the public that this community was only about a month ago attacked by alleged Fulani herders during which many innocent people were killed and over 500 others displaced. Many of the victims of the heinous attack are still living in refugee camps in Minna and the military authorities in Niger state, I believe, are aware of this. The trauma and the palpable fears that the said attack had instilled and inflicted in the community is still fresh in their minds.

I am reliably informed that, this time around when the sleeping villagers were woken by the brutal force of the invasion in the thick of the night, the first thing that came to their mind was that it was another attack by the same Fulani herders on rampage of their community which resulted in general pandemonium and commotion.
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It is unfortunate that instead of the military to provide adequate protection to the helpless villagers, it has taken upon itself the onus of inflicting more pains on them in an unnecessary operation.

In any case if this operation was aimed at securing public peace and enhance security, as the military would want us to believe, I make bold to ask: Why was the police not aware and or involved in it? I am informed that members of the community had sent a distress call to the Police indicating that they were being attacked by “Fulani herders” and the Police responding to the call rushed to the scene only to discover it was a military operation that was on-going.
It is disturbing to note that the military yesterday indiscriminately arrested over 60 people from these villages over this incident and are keeping them in detention in the Military Barracks in Minna. I call on the Chief of Army Staff, the Brigade Commander and the authorities concerned to immediately release the detained villagers. The fundamental rights of these Nigerians as guaranteed by the Constitution must be respected and protected. It is the responsibility of the Police to detain civilian suspects and not the Army.
While condemning the action of the military, I however wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families of all those that have lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident and wish those injured quick recovery.
Finally, I wish to call on the Niger state Government to immediately institute an inquiry into this incident to forestall future re-occurrence.
Senator David Umaru
Niger East Senatorial District

http://facesinternationalmagazine.org.ng/?p=15409

psucc:
Hmmmm! Let me express my thought: what if these are unusable.

psucc:
Hmmmm! Let me express my thought: what if these are unusable.

SamuelAnyawu:


We should test the local revolver on you......

ChangeIsCostant:
more >>>> http://www.nationalhelm.net/2016/08/gun-runners-and-armed-bandits-attacked.html

PrettyCrystal:
God bless our troops

sCun:
They bought those weapons to defend themselves against fulani herdsmen, something which our military and police have blatantly refused to do. No amount of spinning will change the truth. Now they have gone to disarm the community paving way for another fulani attack.

sCun:
They bought those weapons to defend themselves against fulani herdsmen, something which our military and police have blatantly refused to do. No amount of spinning will change the truth. Now they have gone to disarm the community paving way for another fulani attack.

sultaan:













Third pics show some home made revolver pistols used by kids to play cowboys and indians, followed by a row of home made contraption probably used to start a race or scare off wild animals. empty cans with holes

All these amount to farmers, rat hunters, kids playing western movies and possibly a local dance troupe made into front page thread?!!

sunkoye:
I believe it's more lethal if you throw it at sum1