GET GUNS AND DEFEND YOURSELVES, MATAWALLE TELLS ZAMFARA PEOPLE

The priest was abduction amid sporadic shooting by the suspected Fulani herdsmen, which earlier left two people dead while a third victim reportedly sustained serious injuries.

It was learnt that the priest was preparing to go for Sunday Mass in the early hours of morning when gunmen stormed his residence in the community and abducted him into the bush.

During the shooting, a Mass server and a member of the local vigilance were shot dead while another vigilance member sustained serious injuries.

The Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Bishop Gabriel Dunia, who spoke to THISDAY on phone, described incident as "sad one because the local security who went after them, have died. One of them, a mass server, the other a member of the vigilance group who ran after the kidnappers.

"The situation is very riotous, the vigilance people are very angry, am on my way now to the Army in Nikoho. The Fulani, the two who have been arrested now are with the army," Bishop Dunia added.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, has announced the death of the priest.

The Diocese in a statement, signed by its Director of Social Communications, Rev. Fr. Peter Egielew, said: “With heavy hearts but with total submission to the will of God, we announce the death of our priest Rev. Fr. Christopher Odia, who was killed by his abductors after being kidnapped at about 6.30am yesterday in his rectory while coming out to go for Sunday Mass at St. Michael Catholic Church

Ikabigbo, Uzairue, Edo State. Until his death, Fr Odia was the Administrator of St Michael Catholic Church, Ikabigbo and also the Principal of St. Philip Catholic Secondary School Jattu. He was aged 41. May his soul rest in peace. Burial arrangements will be announced by the Diocese later. "

Makinde Approves Recruitment of 500 Additional Amotekun Corps

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde approved the recruitment of additional 500 men for the state's Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codenamed Amotekun, in an effort to enhance the security of lives and property in the state. Makinde disclosed this at the weekend, during the monthly security meeting with local government chairmen, vice-chairmen, heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, and stakeholders held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan.

The governor told the gathering that security was a collective responsibility and all hands must be on deck to curtail insecurity.

He stated, “As the operation of the Amotekun corps is concerned, we have perfected the process of employing 500 more hands to enhance their performance and further deepen the security architecture of our state."

The governor added, "Security is everyone's business and if we all play our parts well, we will have a safer and more secured environment. Although security of lives and property is paramount responsibility of government, government cannot do it alone except with cooperation of the entire citizenry.

“And as we can see from the report gotten all over the country, Oyo State is relatively peaceful. This was not achieved by the effort of government alone but with the efforts of the all stakeholders, most especially, the security commanders.

"This meeting is aimed at getting the situation report from various quarters on security as well as to dialogue on what to do as stakeholders and fine tune necessary steps. This will help government to put necessary machinery in place for people in the state to sleep with their two eyes closed.”

Zulum: 200,000 Displaced North-east People Yet to Be Returned

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State said no fewer than 200,000 people displaced in the North-east as a result of Boko Haram terrorist attacks were yet to be returned to the country.

The affected people are refugees in neighbouring countries, like Niger and Cameroon, where they fled in the wake of the Boko Haram terrorist onslaught in the zone.

Speaking at the weekend at the State House, Abuja, while presenting the report of the Technical Working Group (TWG) to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Zulum, who is also the vice chairman of the committee, said within the last few years, about 50,000 people had been brought back.

He told newsmen after the presentation that in the last few years, "We have repatriated no

fewer than 50, 000 people, but we still have more than 200,000 left in neighbouring countries. So, what we are looking for now is to see how we can repatriate indigenes of Borno State that are living in Niger, especially, those that are from Malumfatori, Abadam Local Government Area that are willing to come back.

"While we have those from Gwoza Local Government Area, Bama Local Government Area mainly that are leaving from Cameroon, they are also willing to come. We also have indigenes of Kukawa and Marte local government areas that are living in Chad.”

Asked about the current security situation in the state, Zulum said, "The security situation has greatly improved. Mr President has inaugurated a committee a few months ago that will look into the repatriation of indigenes of Borno State and other states of the North-east that are living in the Republic of Chad, Cameroon, as well as Niger.

"Sequel to his inauguration, the vice president inaugurated the technical working group, sub-committee, which is headed by my humble self.

"We presented the report to the vice president with a view to ensuring that the repatriation exercise from Cameroon will continue immediately while the repatriation of Nigerians that are living in the Republic of Niger and the Republic of Chad will resume very soon."

Zulum appealed to Osinbajo, who is Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Repatriation, Returns and Resettlement of Displaced

Persons in the North-east, to facilitate speedy approval of funds and other logistics required for the rebuilding of the destroyed communities in Borno State.

The governor stated, "So, I think the vice president will do the needful to ensure that the president gives immediate approval in terms of funding and other logistics required for the re-establishment of these communities in Borno State."

Buhari had in February inaugurated the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Returns and Resettlement of Displaced Persons in the Northeast, and designated the vice president as the chairman.

Terrorists Ban Political Activities in Kaduna Communities

The Ansaru terrorists group banned political activities in some communities in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, according to the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union (BEPU).

A statement made available to journalists in Kaduna on Sunday night, signed by Chairman of BEPU, Ishaq Usman Kasai, said the terrorist group had banned political activities in many communities in the eastern part of Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area.

Kasai said the terrorists had continued to gain strength in some of the communities following the recruitment of young people.

“In fact, the group continues to gain acceptance from many members of the communities,

particularly in old Kuyello and Damari communities in Kazage Ward,” the statement said.

BEPU disclosed that the terrorists were marrying girls from the communities. It said some of the locals, who had joined the group, no longer lived within their communities for fear of being arrested by the security agencies.

The statement said, “The Ansaru and the new recruits are of the belief that their numerical strength will help them to bring the present democratic government down.

“Presently, the Ansaru are going round distributing memory cards to the locals, which contain their beliefs and doctrine.

“A disturbing scenario is where the group banned all political activities in many communities, such as Damari of Kazage Ward.

“Politicians from these communities have to go far away secretly to the neighbouring communities before they hold political meetings.

“For instance, this week an okada rider who lives in Unguwar Makera of Kazage Ward was seen with a sticker of one of the candidates vying for the Kaduna State House of Assembly and he was thoroughly beaten by the Ansaru.”

The BEPU chairman added, “People in these communities are now disenchanted and frustrated about participating in political activities.

“We don't know how the coming elections will take place in those areas because even the last local government election in Kaduna State did not hold in those communities due to the escalating insecurity.