• NSCIA urges Tinubu to rescue Borgu victims, end natives’ displacements

No fewer than 10 people, comprising six suspected bandits and four residents, have been reported killed and several others injured during a clash between the sides in Dansarai community of Malumfashi Local Council Area of Katsina State.

Following the incident, over 20 motorcycles belonging to the bandits were also recovered by the community members and handed over to military personnel in the council area.

Sources in the area said the incident occurred when the bandits passed through the community on about 59 motorcycles on their way to another village in the neighbouring Kano State.

They were said to have faced stiff resistance from the community members, particularly the local vigilantes, leading to the casualties. Also, sources said that armed bandits killed the village head of Galla, Ahmed Yusuf, during an attack on the Borgu council community.

A source from the area revealed that the traditional ruler was killed in his palace on Saturday at about 2 pm, while four other persons were also murdered in Agwara community on Tuesday.

According to sources, Yusuf had earlier warned the bandits to stay away from his community, which they allegedly took as an insult. He was a brother to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take urgent action to end the recurring terrorist attacks that are forcing Nigerians to abandon their ancestral homes.

The council made the call yesterday, condemning the August 21 attacks on four communities in Borgu Local Council Area of Niger State, where it noted that about 30 people were killed, and several others sustained injuries, some of them life-threatening, while over 60 worshippers were reportedly abducted, including Muslim worshippers observing Jumu’at prayers.

The NSCIA said in a statement by its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, that the repeated attacks on Dekara and neighbouring communities have forced the entire population to abandon their ancestral homes and seek refuge in other parts of Niger and Kwara states, as well as across the border in the Republic of Benin.

According to the statement, “the NSCIA considers the deliberate invasion of a mosque during Jumu’at prayers and the abduction of worshippers a heinous assault not only on innocent Nigerians but also a grievous attack on the sanctity of worship and the fundamental right of citizens to practice their faith without fear.

It added that the attack “also points to the factual error that the insecurity in parts of the country is genocidal against Christians, which would hinder the much-needed collective efforts to tackle the scourge.”

Describing what it noted as wanton violence, relentless bloodletting and deadly violations as utterly unacceptable, NSCIA called on Tinubu, the National Security Council, and the relevant ministries and security agencies to treat the Borgu attacks as a national emergency requiring immediate and coordinated intervention.

It called for an immediate and comprehensive review of security arrangements across Niger, Kwara and adjoining border communities, particularly areas around the Kainji Lake National Park and forest corridors allegedly being exploited by terrorists.

The NSCIA also demanded the immediate rescue of everyone still held captive following the August 21 attacks, and intensified aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, and coordinated ground operations to rout the terrorists.