With renewed killings and kidnappings by bandits and herdsmen in Zamfara, Kaduna, Borno, Lagos, Katsina, and Anambra states, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said it would be “ridiculous and unfair” to suggest that he was not concerned about the killings.

This came as the Federal Government, yesterday, ordered foreign miners to vacate mining sites in Zamfara State and its environs within 48 hours. No fewer than 50 people were killed, last Tuesday, by armed bandits in the state.

The Federal Government also announced the suspension of mining activities in the state so as to curtail armed banditry that has been terrorizing the people of the place.

The killings in Borno State have shown no respite, as no fewer than five persons were killed while 46 others sustained various degrees of injuries when Improvised Explosive Device, IED, was triggered at popular Muna park in Maiduguri.

Spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in North-East, Mr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim confirmed that the bombing was triggered by two suicide bombers on Saturday’s evening.

Ibrahim said: “Immediately we received a distress call, emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene. The suspected suicide bombers had detonated their explosives within five minutes interval at Muna Dalti settlement as a result, three persons died with the two bombers, while other innocent people sustained various degrees of injury.”

Also speaking on the development, the Director, Rescue Operation of State Emergency Agency, SEMA, Usman Kachala, said the incident occurred about 8p.m.

Kachala said the corpses had been evacuated while 45 others injured in the suicide bomb attack are currently receiving treatment in Maiduguri General Hospital.

Kachala said: “The two female suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosives Device (IEDs) vests strapped to their bodies in a crowded place at Muna-Dalti area of Maiduguri on Saturday night. Two of the deceased actually died while on admission in the hospital.”

In Kaduna, two policemen were killed when their police station was attacked. The gunmen also attacked Kakangi Village in Birnin Gwari. It was gathered that the bandits descended on the village and began shooting into the air before torching some houses.

Scores were said to have been killed, although the exact figure could not be ascertained.

In Anambra State, suspected herdsmen had weekend stormed a farm settlement at Mmiata Anam, Anambra West Local Government of the state, killing six persons and inflicted severe wounds on 30 others.

One of the victims, said, “The herdsmen stormed the Agweopia Farm Settlement Camp and Iyinkolo Farm Settlement Camp respectively, around 5.40a.m., on Friday, killed people and burnt houses and raped women and escaped before information reached the people in the community.”

According to the victim, who was lucky to escape, “Before people of the area knew what was going on, the herdsmen had killed six people, leaving about 30 people with different degrees of injuries.”

Also in Taraba State, Chairman of Wukari Local Government Area of the state, Mr Daniel Adi, has confirmed that 10 people were killed and several others injured in the ongoing clashes between Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups.

The Jukun and TIV ethnic groups share a common boundary between Benue and Taraba states.

In an interview with newsmen in Wukari, yesterday, Adi who called for calm, further disclosed that more than nine communities had so far been razed and displaced from the Kente ward of the affected area.

•Excerpted from The Vanguard report

•Members of the Police Anti-Terrorism Joint Squad during a prayer before embarking on Operation Pup Adder at Katari Town on Kaduna-Abuja Expressway in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

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