Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto, John Shiklam in Kaduna and Francis Sardauna in Katsina

It was another sad day for the people and residents of Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State as suspected armed bandits again attack the local government with no fewer than 27 people abducted from Gatawa, a community in the local government area.

This is just as in Zamfara, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ibrahim Dosara, yesterday insisted that the ongoing military operations against bandits and other criminals has recorded huge success, disclosing that the fleeing bandits whose source of food supply had been cut off, have resorted to eating raw food.
In a related development, a suspected kidnap kingpin who was arrested by the Katsina State Police Command, Surajo Mamman, alias Kutika, has confessed that he belongs to a kidnapping syndicate that has over 200 members with 150 AK-47 rifles.

In Gatawa community in Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State, a source who spoke with THISDAY confirmed that in the latest attack where no fewer than 27 persons were abducted, a resident of the town was said to have been burnt alive while many policemen have been unaccounted for after the attack which occurred on Wednesday.

It was in same Sabon Birnin that bandits had gunned down at least 17 security personnel earlier in the week.
A member of the State House of Assembly who represents Sabon Birni East Constituency, Sa’idu Ibrahim, who confirmed the development said the bandits now target security formations in the area.

“They are now looking for where security operatives are stationed because their morale was boosted by their recent attack on a military formation at Dama, where many soldiers, policemen and Civil Defence officers were killed.
“So they are now attacking places where they know military, police or other para-military camp.
“They shot two persons, including a woman and burnt three others who hid in a grain store. One of them died instantly while the other two are receiving treatment in the hospital,” he said.

According to the lawmaker, they invaded Gatawa because of the presence of “Operation Puff Ader” camp in the area.
“As I am talking to you now, many policemen are still missing. We don’t know whether they were abducted or ran away,” he said.
Meanwhile, all efforts to get the reaction of Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto State Command was not successful as at the time of filing this report. But when contacted by THISDAY, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Sanusi Abubakar, said he was in a meeting and promised to get back.

Military Operations in Zamfara Successful

Also, the Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ibrahim Dosara, yesterday said the ongoing military operations against bandits in the state has recorded huge success.

Briefing journalists in Kaduna, Dosara also disclosed that over 2000 informants to the bandits had been arrested and were providing useful information about their operations and those involved.
According to him, the fleeing bandits have been going around farms, eating raw millet and okro as they have been cut off from those supplying foodstuffs to them.

Dosara said the military operations have recorded huge success as many of the bandits have fled the state while many others were neutralised by security forces.
He said the state government was considering restoring telecom services to Gusau, the state capital within the week.
“I am happy to announce to you that after a month of the military operations and imposing appropriate measures, we have greatly succeeded in so many respects.

“The bandits have fled Zamfara state for fear of being killed by security operatives. So many bandits fled Zamfara state to where they feel safe,” the Commissioner said.
“Just yesterday, the Sokoto state commissioner for security said 80 per cent of the bandits have relocated to Sokoto and the Sokoto state government is trying its best to push them out or neutralised them.

“According to him only 20 per cent of the bandits are in Zamfara and Katsina state and I am sure the Sokoto state government will not relent in efforts to make sure that the bandits are pushed out of their state,” Dosara said.
According to him the military operations was successful due to the cooperation of the Zamfara people who embraced the measures put in place to ensure lasting solutions to banditry.

He said, “The people cooperated with us and prayed for government and security to succeed. Government provided relief materials to the people following the hardship caused by the measures adopted to crush the bandits.
“Rice, maize, beans and guinea corn was provided by to cushion the hardship faced by people during the period,” he said.

According to him, “Over 2000 informants who are the most serious problems of banditry in Zamfara state have been arrested and are providing vital information regarding their operations, the way they collaborate with the bandits and those involved in armed banditry, including highly placed personalities and they are making a lot of vital information available.”

Dosara said the state government also set up a situation room and constituted a committee where information, complaints and other vital data were being collected, “so that government will respond positively and as quickly as possible to such complaints, especially to where such communities are being attack by bandits or where the bandits are hiding.”
He added: “So many of the bandits have been forced to take raw food in farms such as millets and okro to survive because they have been cut off from the supplies they use to get from their collaborators in town in terms of drugs, food etc.

“Because of the hardship being faced by the bandits as a results of the stiffer measures taken by government the bandits have resorted to using camels to perpetrate their heinous acts against communities.
“In a nutshell so many successes have been recorded and government is very happy about this and as a result government is considering opening up Gusau the state capital by restoring telecom services before the end of this week.”
The commissioner accused some politicians, who according to him, were not happy with the security measures and, “who do not wish Zamfara people well because they think that if Zamfara state is peaceful, they will not have the opportunity to rule the state and they decided to sponsor some sections of the media, particularly the social media to write fake news and inciting reports against the operations and against the military.”

We’ve over 200 Members with 150 AK-47 Rifles, Arrested Kidnapper Confesses

Meanwhile, a suspected kidnap kingpin arrested by the Katsina State Police Command, Surajo Mamman alias Kutika, has confessed that he belongs to a kidnapping syndicate with over 200 members with 150 AK-47 rifles.
The 50-year-old Mamman, who claimed he had lost count of the number of innocent farmers and business tycoons he had killed and kidnapped for ransom in Danmusa, Safana, Dutsin-ma and Batsari local government areas of the state, said he was into kidnapping to earn a living.

He told journalists in an interview at the state Police headquarters that he was an assistant commander of another suspected kidnap kingpin, Sani Muhidinge, who is on the wanted list of police in the state.
He said: “I belong to a kidnapping gang under the leadership of Sani Muhidinge. We have over 200 members with at least 150 AK-47 rifles. I have lost count of the number of people we had killed and kidnapped for ransom but I am seeking Allah’s forgiveness.”

Parading the suspect alongside other suspected kidnappers, bandits and their informants, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah, explained that efforts were on to nab Mamman’s accomplices, including the gang commander (Muhidinge).

Isah, a superintendent of police, said: “On the September 16, 2021 at about 1300hrs, the Command succeeded in arresting one Surajo Mamman alias ‘KUTIKA’, aged 50yrs of Tulun Busawa village, a notorious kidnapper terrorizing the state.
“In the course of investigation, suspect confessed to be under the command of one Sani Muhidinge, a notorious, recalcitrant and unrepentant bandit leader hibernating in Rugu forest.

“He further confessed to have participated in so many attacks, kidnapping and cattle rustling in villages at Dan Musa, Safana, Dutsinma and Batsari LGA of the state. He confessed that he cannot remember the number of persons he killed or kidnapped. Investigation is ongoing.”