.As bandits abduct pastor, wife, worshippers in Kogi
Troops of the Operation MESA under the 3 Brigade Nigerian Army have rescued seven persons abducted during a bandit attack on Yankamaye Cikin Gari village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
This is contained in a statement released on Sunday by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Brigade, Capt. Babatunde Zubairu.
He said the incident occurred on November 29, at about 23:00 p.m.
Zubairu said the troops received a distress call that a large number of bandits on foot had stormed the village, abducted 10 residents and killed a 60-year-old woman.
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He said that a joint team of the soldiers and police operatives swiftly mobilised to the scene and pursued the bandits along their withdrawal route towards Rimaye.
The spokesman said the troops engaged the attackers with a high volume of fire and “successfully rescued seven of the abducted victims.”
“The bandits fled towards Kankia Local Government Area in Katsina State. Efforts are ongoing to track their location,” he said.
Zubairu quoted the Commander of the 3 Brigade, as commending the troops for their bravery, swift response and professionalism during the operation.
He urged residents of the state to support ongoing operations by providing credible and timely information to security agencies.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday that criminals between last Monday and Tuesday reportedly kidnapped 10 persons in Biresawa and Tsundu communities in the Tsanyawa Local Government Area.
A relative of some of the victims, Kabiru Usman, revealed that the gunmen struck around 10.00 p.m., kidnapping five people from Biresawa village and another five from neighbouring Tsundu village.
“They came on foot, armed with guns. They kidnapped my wife, Umma; my 17-year-old daughter, Fati; my brother’s wife, and two other women,” Usman said.
He further disclosed that community members tried to repel the attack, but were quickly overwhelmed.
“We tried to stop them, but our weapons were no match for them as they were carrying guns,” he said.
He added that residents had alerted the police and military after receiving prior warnings that the bandits were heading toward the villages.
“Before the attack occurred, we got a report that they were heading towards us, and we notified the security agencies, including the police and military, ahead of time because they gave us their numbers and asked us to call if we got any information,” he added.
Kano police spokesman, Abdullahi Kiyawa, promised to verify the report and provide an update.
.As bandits abduct pastor, wife, worshippers in Kogi
Meanwhile, Gunmen on Sunday attacked a branch of the C&S Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government area of Kogi State, abducting the Pastor of the church, his wife and unspecified number of worshippers.
The gunmen carried out the attack while the church was holding its regular weekly Sunday service.
Egbe Mekun Platform, a local news platform in the local government reported that the assault occurred during a church service at a new Cherubim and Seraphim Church.
Adegboyega Oguns, who was among the congregants at the church when the bandits struck, said he and others worshippers fled in different directions as the attackers came.
Oguns confirmed that the Church Pastor, popularly known as Orlando, his wife, and several other individuals were abducted during the raid.
“It’s a new Cherubim and Seraphim church. The pastor popularly called Orlando and wife with some others have been kidnapped,” he wrote on Egbe Mekun Parrot platform on Facebook.
“It is serious, we all ran out of church,” he said.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, confirmed the attack.
He expressed shock that some pastors could still encourage their followers to come and worship in a church located inside the bush without putting adequate security measures in place.
He stated this in a facebook post shortly after the attack.
Fanwo in the post said : “Only The Living Can Worship God.
“I saw the video of the Ejiba Church attack and that has further expanded the hypocrisy in the body of Christ. Ejiba is in Yagba West Local Government Area.
“The State Government and the Yagba West Local Government Council have been working hard to battle criminality in Yagba West Local Government Area as a border Local Government Area.
“Ejiba has had its fair share of some of these criminal activities.
“And then some Pastors would still encourage their members to come to a church in the bush to worship at a time like this!
“It is easy to blame the Government, but those suffering in the hands of these incurable irredentists are our people. So why won’t we subscribe to wisdom?
“Worshiping in the bush without security in this era, just a few weeks after worshipers were abducted from a church in Kwara State, to me is not ideal.
“We all need to be security conscious at this time. We also need to volunteer intelligence.
“Those who struck at Ejiba must have been hiding in the community for some days or bushes around the village.
“Some villagers would have seen them and kept quiet.
“If you refuse to raise alarms when you see strange faces at a time like this, who knows who will be victims of their madness? When you see something, say something.
“Avoid going to unsecured churches and mosques now. Avoid absolutely unnecessary journeys at this time.
“Any journey along the danger zones should be avoided. Do not disclose your movement to anyone again – “Mosinu”.
“Asymmetrical wars are very difficult the world over. The idiots hide only to strike when you least expect.
“God will continue to protect our people in Jesus name.
“I am aware that security agents are on their trail already. May we record success.”
