Gunmen bomb police station, court, bank in Jigawa

The Custodian April 10, 2014

Bandits suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists on Wednesday bombed a police station, a bank and a Sharia Court, killing seven policemen and a civilian guard in Gwaram Sabuwa,   Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Four other persons were also said to have been injured during the incident which occurred between 1am and 2am.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police,  Zone 1,  Mr. Tambari Muhammed, confirmed this in Dutse just as news of another bloodshed by armed men in Niger State spread.

Muhammed, who was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria as putting the number of the attackers at 20, described the incident as unfortunate.

He added that from the information made available to him, the bandits who arrived in the community in motorcycles and cars, used explosives to attack the police station, the bank   and the court.

Muhammed said that no arrest had been made but  that more armed policemen had been deployed in the village.

An online news  portal   Saharareporters, quoted residents as saying that the gunmen bombed the police station in Gwaram Sabuwa before shooting indiscriminately at villagers.

It added that the residents said the gunmen “numbering over 20” operated and left unhindered.

According to them, the gunmen threatened to come back if they continued to enrol their children in schools, accept polio vaccination and operate football viewing centres in the town.

But as the news of the Jigawa attack spread, there were reports that  gunmen invaded  and killed two people  in  Shadna,    Bosso  LGA of Niger State.

It was gathered that three other persons sustained   injuries during the invasion which took place when the villagers were having their monthly traditional dance on Tuesday night.

The injured persons were rushed to an undisclosed hospital while the dead were buried according to Islamic rites.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Richard Adamu Oguche, confirmed the report and urged the villagers to   assist the police with information that could aid the arrest of the attackers.

In Bauchi State, arsornists on Wednesday morning burnt down the All Progressives Congress secretariat on Gombe Road, Bauchi.

It was learnt that the burnt secretariat was slated for the APC ward congress which was scheduled to commence by 8am.

But the party still went ahead to conduct the congress in all the 20 LGAs in the state despite the fire.

A member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that all the office equipment and other things inside the secretariat were looted by the hoodlums before setting it on fire.

He also alleged that the arson was carried out by thugs loyal to one of the factions of the party in the state.

The spokesman for the party in the state, Alhaji Bappah Tafida, said the fire   was an act of “desperate politicians.”

He said, “I cannot precisely say who is responsible for this but I know that this is the handiwork of desperate politicians who are contesting and who think the party will not be just and fair to them.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer,   Mohammed Haruna, said,  “Information at our disposal indicates that unknown hoodlums at 2.00am burnt down part of the Bauchi LGA secretariat of  the APC.

 “No life was lost during the fire incident and the value of the property destroyed is yet to be ascertained. We have commenced investigation.”

Meanwhile, leaders of southern Kaduna groups on Tuesday signed a six-page document to end about 14 years of hostility   between the Hausa-Fulani and other ethnic groups in the southern part of the state.

The reconciliation move was at the instance of the committee set up by the Inspector-general of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, to resolve the clashes between herdsmen and the communities.

The Chairman of the committee,   Michael Zuokumor, and    the state Commissioner for Police, Umar Shehu, were among those that witnessed the signing of the document.

According to the document read by the National President of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union, Dr. Ephraim Goje, the groups condemned what they described as the wanton destruction of lives and property   in the state.

They also declared a ceasefire to create an enabling environment for dialogue for the return of enduring peace and unity to the area.

The document   urged the state government to establish a peace and reconciliation commission and to complete the gazetting of all existing grazing reserves and livestock routes in the state.

But there was a problem as a coalition of community development associations, civil society organisation and non-governmental organisations in Southern Kaduna, kicked against the   peace deal with the Fulani.

They noted that the Committee on Peace and Reconciliation was a mere charade.

The Convener of the coalition, Zakari Sogfa, who led others to a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, added that the Southern Kaduna people were never at war with any ethnic group and therefore had no reason to be at any peace treaty.

On Tuesday, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle,   began a tour of some states in the North-Central for a first hand report on the   security situation in the zone.

Entwistle was said to have met with the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, and the management, staff and students of the Benue State University.

During the meeting, he emphasised the need for inter-faith cooperation and tolerance  among residents of the state.

The envoy, who was also expected to meet with political, religious and community leaders in   Nasarawa and Plateau states, stressed Washington’s resolve to continue to partner Nigeria on “shared security.”

He stated that the US would lend its support to Nigeria’s efforts in promoting peace and tranquility.