Attacks spills into 17 LGAs in Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto

Armed bandits have extended their operations into four states neighbouring Zamfara with deadly raids.

From Andrew Agbese (Kaduna), Habibu Umar Aminu (Katsina) Ahmed Tahir (Niger) and Abubakar Auwal (Sokoto)

TKaduna he bandits take advantage of the vast Kamuku forest which borders Birnin Gwari and bursts out in four other states of Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger to hide and launch their attacks.

Within Kaduna State, the banditry affects four local government area, Birnin Gwari, Rigasa, Chikun and Giwa.

While not much has been heard from the Giwa axis lately, most of the attacks within Kaduna have centered around different communities in Birnin Gwari, Rigasa and Chikun.

The attacks on Birnin Gwari communities have been the most frequent, with an average of two major attacks in a month.

The ones in Chikun happen mainly on the Abuja-Kaduna express road. Eight persons were reportedly killed while four others were wounded by suspected cattle rustlers at Kurega village which Chikun shares boundary with Birnin Gwari Local Government.

For Rigasa, there have been pockets of reported attacks lately along the new road leading from the junction to the airport to train terminal. Katsina In Katsina, 8 local governments bordering the dreaded Rugu Forest are the most vulnerable to the bandits attack. The local governments are Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Faskari, Kankara, Sabuwa and Dandume.

However, an amnesty programme entered between the rustlers and state government has drastically reduced the menace but still some rustlers who did not key into the programme or some believed to be crossing over from Kaduna and Zamfara are still causing mayhem intermittently in some communities.

Recently, Governor Aminu Masari said it cost the state about N60m monthly to support the various security operations being carried out to address banditry across the state. Niger Some communities in Niger have been at the receiving end of bandits’ activities from neighbouring Zamfara State until recently when the joint operations by security agencies stemmed the tide.

Bandits fleeing security offensive in Zamfara and Kaduna states always retreat to Niger axis of the forest where they wreak havoc on communities.

Communities in Shiroro, Munya, Gurara, Rafi local government areas are worst hit. In Munya alone, 40 people were killed within the space of three months, while scores were kidnapped, thereby triggering deployment of security operatives to curb the menace.

Recently, the Special Tactical Squad under Operation Absolute Sanity set up by the Inspector General of Police, paraded bandits who allegedly killed 19 villagers at separate locations in Rafi and Shiroro local government areas.

The bandits were said to have attacked a police station in Allawa and also abducted worshipers from a mosque during an early morning prayers and killed them. Sokoto Isa and Rabah local government areas in Sokoto have also come under attacks by kidnappers suspected to have crossed from Zamfara.

Last month, residents of Rabah hinted about mass exodus from the area over what they called frequent attacks in their communities by kidnappers.