We’ve deployed more troops where abductees, kidnappers are, says CP

•Bandits told students they were soldiers to provide security – Resident

•I ran in zigzag pattern to dodge bullets, escaped student narrates

Adelani Adepegba, Maiharaji Altine and Adebayo Ayinla

Niger State Government on Thursday stepped up efforts to rescue students and workers of Government Science College, Kagara who were abducted on Wednesday.

A competent source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told one of our correspondents that officials of Niger and Zamfara state governments, met some bandits at Dutsin Magaji of Kotonkoro forest in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State on Thursday evening.

The source stated, “The committee from Niger State went to Kotonkoro forest this evening where the bandits who allegedly took the students chose as meeting centre. Some officials of Zamfara State also joined them.”

Kotonkoro forest, according to him bordered four states of Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna where the bandits from the affected states could easily meet if there was any serious issue.

A popular Kaduna-based cleric, Ahmad Gumi, also met some bandits in Niger State as part of efforts to rescue the students.

Gumi met the bandit in a forest between Tegina in Niger State and Birnin Gwari Kaduna State on Thursday afternoon.

Effort to get the comment of the Niger State Government on the state officials’ meeting with the bandits did not succeed.

The State Commission for Information Sani Idris, and the Special Adviser to the state Governor on Media, Mohammed Mohammed, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to them.

When contacted for comment on the involvement of Zamfara State Government, the Special Adviser to the state Governor on Public Enlightenment Media and Communications, Zailani Bappa said, “There is nothing like that at the moment.”

Bappa stressed that the state Governor, Bello Matawalle, had been making frantic efforts to make sure he worked with other North-West governors on how to end banditry but was not getting much support from them.

Also on Thursday, more facts emerged about the abduction of students and workers of GSC Kagara.

A resident, Aliyu Isa, who escaped while his colleagues were being taken away, said abductors told the abductees that they were soldiers.


Troops locate students, workers in forest

Also, The PUNCH learnt on Thursday said security team dispatched to Niger State from Abuja had through air surveillance detected the location of abductees from Kagara and 18 passengers of the state transport service, who were kidnapped at Yakila village also in the Rafi LGA on Sunday.

A top security source, who confided in The PUNCH, said the kidnappers of the students and the passengers belong to the same gang.

He said the two groups of abductees were being kept close to each other in Kotonkoro forest in Niger State, but close Zamfara State, adding that security forces had cornered the bandits.

Meanwhile, Isa, who stays in the GSC Kagara staff quarters, in an interview with The PUNCH, said he escaped shortly after the bandits raided the school hostel.

He stated, “After all domestic work, we went to sleep. After 2pm, we heard some people trying to force our door open. Before we knew what was happening, they forced the door open and came into the bedroom, held me by trousers and took me outside.”

“They took me to the students’ hostel. On reaching there, they started gathering the students, so when the students discovered who they were, they started running, but the kidnappers told them not to run. They said they were soldiers who came to provide security, not kidnappers. The person, who held me, wore uniform of the Nigerian Army.

“They were three that came to my room, but one wore black clothes. When we were at the hostel, they gathered the students, but some of the students succeeded in running into the bush. They took those they caught outside and tied them in pairs.

“So when they started tying us, I stayed at the rear, pulled off my shirt and God gave me the courage to run. I was running in a zigzag manner as they were shooting. At a point, I prostrated and started crawling. I ran to a driver’s house, I knocked at the door and he opened and I stayed there till around after 4pm. The kidnappers operated for two hours.”

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented that a police station was two kilometres away from the school, but the bandits operated for two hours without any move by the security agency to stop them.

Another student of the school, who also escaped but refused to disclose his identity said the bandits first attacked two houses by the fence.

He added that the kidnappers were chasing and shooting students, who were running away and in the process killed a student.

A member of the security team sent from Abuja, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, stated, “ I can confirm to you that after the aerial surveillance, the two groups of abductees have been spotted in a bush close to Zamfara. The kidnappers have been cornered, but we are being careful because of safety of the victims.


IG drafts additional 252 operatives, chopper in Niger

Also on Thursday, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, drafted additional 252 operatives and a helicopter to reinforce the ongoing rescue operation for the abducted students and staff of the GSC Kagara.

The IG said that the joint search and rescue mission involving the police, the military and other law enforcement agencies would rescue the hostages unhurt and reunite them with their families.

According to a statement by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, titled, ‘Kagara abductions: We are committed to the safe rescue of abductees, says IGP,’ the police component of the search and rescue operation was being coordinated by the Commissioner of Police, Niger State.

It said the commissioner of police was effectively harnessing all the deployed resources and working in sync with the military and other law enforcement agents in ensuring an intelligence-driven, focused and result-oriented ground and aerial surveillance in the rescue operations, and to bring the perpetrators to book.

The statement read, “To give impetus to the rescue operation, the IGP has ordered the deployment of additional tactical, intelligence and investigative assets of the Force including four units of Police Mobile Force attached to Operation Puff Adder II, one unit of Police Special Forces, personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Unit and operatives from the Force Intelligence Bureau and the Force Criminal Investigations Department. One police aerial surveillance helicopter has also been deployed.’’

While calling for calm, the IG enjoined members of the community to provide the Force and the security community with useful, relevant and timely information that can assist in the ongoing search and rescue operations.


We’ve deployed more troops where abductees, kidnappers are, says CP

Also, at the inauguration of the first phase of Operation Adder II at Minna on Thursday, the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Usman said that the special security troops would reinforce the fight against banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.

At the event, Adamu said security agencies knew where the abductees were.

He said that the police would embark on the well-planned deployment of four units of Police Mobile Force and special forces alongside other operational assets to crime prime local government areas in the state.

He expressed optimism about rescuing the abducted victims, adding that the state could no longer complain about inadequate security personnel.

Usman stated, “We will deploy them in all the areas that are regarded as red flag points. We had problems with inadequate personnel in the past but that is no longer a problem with the coming of these troops. They will be deployed to Munya, Munya, Shiroro, Mariga and the Lapai-Agaie axis.”

The commissioner of police said that the operation Puff Adder II would be intelligence-led and community-driven adding that their operations would be executed in sustained collaborate with the Armed forces, the intelligence community and other sister security agencies.

“We are also using the locals. We have mobilised the vigilantes and the police will work with the vigilantes.”

Speaking about the abducted students and other victims, Adamu said that all abducted persons were still with their abductors but the security agencies were working tirelessly to bring them back.

Adamu stated, “The abducted victims are still there. We are trying to reinforce and with the deployment of this special deployment troop, we will rescue the victims.

“Everything is being properly handled. We are have deployed troops to where they are. , We know what is happening and we are monitoring them.

“We have a lot of personnel in the area both land and air. This reinforcement will also assist and go a long way in this way in ensuring that we rescue the victims.”

The Niger State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Ketso, commended the President for his prompt response to the predicament of the state.

He expressed optimism that the deployment of Operations Puff Adder II would go a long way towards restoring the peace and safety of people and properties in the state.

He assured the people of their safety adding that efforts were ongoing to ensure that all the abducted victims would be rescued without harm.

“The security forces are gathering all the information that will lead to the rescue. We hope that within the next possible time the people will be rescued unharmed.”

He assured the special operations troops of the support of the state government. “The government will support them because we want their morale to be high, we will give them all the necessary support and information to enable them to have a successful operation,” he added.

https://punchng.com/niger-zamfara-hold-talks-troops-locate-students-workers-in-forest/

lalasticlala

To me, it is all a staged thing. They probably told them to make it look real by leaving behind a casualty in form of the dead student.

Las Las everybody go dey alright...

The business will soon go all round...


With the way things are going in Nigeria u gaz dey buy your kid Gun to take to schl after u don buy dem Biro nd book....

Very soon the SW and SE gov too will start having their own staged kidnaps and rescue to boost public perception of insecurity.

Just like that...

Nigeria has been conquered by terrorists yet the government does not know.

It is a pity that Buhari would rather die on that seat than step aside for saner beings to take the reins of government.

What are they waiting for

They deployed troops in most cases to circle in these terrorists but will still go in to negotiate with them and give the ransome money.Then what is the usefulness of the military when criminal groups like Miyetti Allah, are the ones negotiating with another criminal terrorist group on behalf of government?

Na una go tire!

Desperadoes!

The least productive part of west Africa is holding a nation to ransom because the government at state and federal levels has chosen Islamic terrorism as a negotiation tool.

I repeat una go tire. Even after filling all posts with incompetent Fulanis you guys still augment it with staged kidnaps.

This country is a complete joke.

The insecurity in Nigeria is scary.

Naija action film...

The rate of insecurity in this country is alarming to say the least.

if the former Airforce commandant Alex badeh with security detail was ambushed and killed like a Christmas fowl, you know the rest.

Chief of defence staff said we should not be cowards, we should fight terrorists wielding RPG's and Automatic rifles with my mother's turn garri abi ?

Nigeria was built on lies and deceit, know this and know peace.

The earlier you plan your escape, the better.

Ahia na azu

i lost my comments for this country

This thing is so irritating to the ears I swear. Something is definitely not right. The north are playing games

So the Army can't locate the said Kotonkoro forest and do aerial bombardment?

politics kidnapping. later they will say, they spend 300millon for there released. buhari cow kill your head.

After this, another hit and they go hold another talk......money being made!

Goodluck

This administration has continued to show their affinity towards terroristic elements. Why empower them financially in the name of negotiation

Useless troops always locating without doing anything useful to save them....

God go punish all of them bastards that have a hand in what is happening in Nigeria...

Igbos are trying to defend their own territory and the useless dumb troops are fighting the security as if they are terrorists... Nigeria and misplaced priority are twins..

Buhari and all his cohorts must pay dearly for all this inhumanity.... Lifeless vegetable..

ijustdey:
We’ve deployed more troops where abductees, kidnappers are, says CP

•Bandits told students they were soldiers to provide security – Resident

•I ran in zigzag pattern to dodge bullets, escaped student narrates






https://punchng.com/niger-zamfara-hold-talks-troops-locate-students-workers-in-forest/

lalasticlala

Another movie is hitting the cinema! Starring GMB, Sheikh Gumi, Fulani herdsmen, Northern governors, kidnapped students and staff, bandits, bokoharam. Ati bee bee lo!

The Nigerian Military Jet in gun Battle shoot down in Orlu in IMO STATE.

Nigeria can't afford another war pls.

Are they waiting for an award...ogbeni do your damn job and stop this media search and rescue operation.

Nothing to say jare..

Sharp Sharp settlement don start

Kidnapping and banditry has become a very big business in Nigeria.

What I can see is business as usual, they are currently busy negotiating how much government will pay to secure the release of the people abducted.

So sad, after this one many more will come because of the juicy some of money involved.

Nigeria is now at the mercy of these people.

Such a pity for the country.

Nigeria

I was boiling inside of me reading this. You already knew where the victims are, you're still negotiating. These are things that embolden these bandits to continue what they are doing. What's the usefulness of the armed forces if they cannot carry out rescue operations on home ground? After the bandits have made a lot of money, they will say they want to repent, government will still give them money. Instead of dealing with these terrorists, IPOB is rather their focus.

That said, this is just another script being played by paid urchins, produced by APC and directed by Buhari... The security operatives are also given some minor roles. They should continue, their movie is interesting.

Awon oniranu.