Prosecute repentant Boko Haram terrorists, ACF tells Buhari, Zulum

 

.Buhari to meet Service  Chiefs over insecurity Thursday

.Arm yourselves against bandits, Masari urges  Katsina residents

.Abductors of Zamfara College students demand N350m ransom

 

 

The Pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has kicked against the reintegration of repentant Boko Haram insurgents into the society.

 

The National Chairman of the group, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the repentant Boko Haram members should be prosecuted for the crimes committed against Nigerians.

 

Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture, said this in a statement he personally signed and released by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe in Kaduna on Tuesday.

 

The statement was entitled, ‘On repentant Boko Haram Terrorists and the Principle of Equity and Justice’.

 

It read, “We are currently witnessing large scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram Insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers.

 

“Do we have good reason to cheer and hope for an end to this decade-old insanity? Is ‘I am sorry’ enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of the dead and the maimed? What of those victims bombed in the churches, mosques, schools, and markets? What of all the men and women in uniform murdered by them?

 

“Who can count the thousands of widows and orphans they have created?

 

“So, what do we do with them? Should we just embrace them and trust them wholesale? Are their moves informed by altruistic repentance? We seriously doubt.

 

“We join the Governor of Borno (Babagana Zulum), The Shehu of Borno, Senator Ndume and millions of Nigerians in pondering over this development and our simple advice is: Bring them to trial, or free all others presently in custody anywhere, while we Nigerians plead guilty of naivety and gullibility in the extreme, punishable by more insurrection and anarchy.”

Zamfara college students’ abductors demand N350m

 

Newsmart  August 17, 2021  News

 

Gov Matawalle

The abductors of the students and staff of the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Bakura in Zamfara State are demanding N350 million for their release.

 

 

The provost of the college Habibu Mainasara confirmed this to Channels Television on Tuesday.

 

 

He said a total of 20 people were abducted, including 15 students, 4 staff, and a driver.

 

 

The gunmen had stormed the institution around 11 pm on Sunday and kidnapped the students and staff of the college.

 

 

During the attack, the gunmen killed two watchmen and a police officer.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, had promised to secure the release of the victims of the latest abduction by bandits in the state.

 

 

In a statement by his spokesman, Yusuf Gusau, on Monday, he condemned the attack on the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Bakura.

 

 

“Governor Matawalle who is seriously saddened with the resurgence of school abduction in the state by recalcitrant bandits is, however, thankful to God for the prompt response of the security agencies to the school to reinforce the already stationed security at the school which also led to the successful rescue of three out of the four abducted staff of the institution,” the statement said.

 

 

“The governor directed the security operatives in the state to intensify efforts and rescue all the abductees, promising to do everything humanly possible to rescue them unhurt.”

 

 

According to Governor Matawalle, the state government has continued to strengthen efforts at providing security to all schools across the state since the abduction of the schoolgirls in Jangebe.

 

 

He commended the immediate action of the security agencies to launch search and rescue strategies to ensure the safe return of the abducted students and staff still in captivity.

 

 

The governor also made an appeal to residents of the state to remain calm, saying the government was taking all the necessary steps to restore normalcy in the area.

 

 

He, however, urged inhabitants to cooperate with the security agencies deployed in the area by providing them with useful information that could lead to the rescue of the victims.

 

 

Governor Matawalle called on the people to intensify prayers for an end to all criminal activities in the state and the nation at large.

 

Arm yourselves against bandits, Masari tells Katsina residents

) Gov. Aminu Masari has urged Katsina State citizens resident in areas prone to activities of bandits to acquire weapons and defend themselves.

 

Masari noted that it is morally wrong for people to submit cheaply to the bandits without any attempt to defend themselves, according to a statement by his Media Aide, Malam Abdu Labaran,

 

The governor said this during his visit to Jibia town to condole with the families of 10 people that were recently crushed by operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) through reckless driving.

 

According to him, security is everybody’s business, pointing out that it is not the responsibility of the government alone.

 

“It is the people’s meek submission that emboldens the bandits to continue with their heinous activities with murderous frequency.

 

“People must divorce their minds from the mistaken notion that security is government’s sole responsibility alone,” Masari said.

 

Meanwhile, the governor assured that those killed by the customs operatives would not die in vain.

 

“Government is perusing all the necessary legal steps to seek redress for the families of the deceased as well as those who sustained various degrees of injuries.

 

“Legal experts have already been consulted to advise on the way forward to ensure speedy (legal) resolution of the matter,” he said.

 

The governor cautioned the families of the victims not to succumb to any covert enticement from the NSC.

 

“Doing so will compromise and jeopardise the government’s efforts to secure justice for the bereaved and injured.

 

“What customs operatives are doing in the state is wrong, and unacceptable.

 

“Do not succumb to any covert enticement from the customs service, no matter what they offer or promise to do for you.

 

“Whatever they want to do for you, let it be in the open, not in secret.

 

“If you accept any secret offer, then you will be truncating government’s efforts to seek justice for you; but if you resist any untoward move, the organisation will then have to rethink its attitude towards its host community,” Masari added.

 

NAN recalls that NSC crushed 10 persons to death through reckless driving while pursuing smugglers in Jibia border in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State recently.