• Bandits kill PDP scribe in Zamfara
• Reactions as Sule bans ethnic vigilante in Nasarawa
• Fintiri declares war on new bandit group in Adamawa
A task force set up by the Katsina State Government has arrested 10 suspects and sealed three filling stations for allegedly selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to suspected terrorists.
The arrests were made during several raids within the metropolitan area by the Task force Committee on Food Security and Promotion, led by Chief of Staff to the state government, Jabiru Tsauri.
Tsauri said the suspects would be made to face the law, and the appropriate punishment meted to them if found guilty. He said the filling stations were suspected to be smuggling fuel to terrorists in the forest, and that the decision to seal them followed investigations carried out over time.
“The decision to close these petrol stations was based on credible information received from the community. The community members have raised serious concerns that these petrol stations were engaging in the sale of PMS at exorbitant prices and to unidentified and suspicious individuals.
“Henceforth, the shut petrol stations will be thoroughly investigated, focusing on the suspected owners. Should they be found guilty, appropriate legal measures will be taken to ensure justice is served.”
GUNMEN have killed one Musa Ille, secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Tsafe Local Council of Zamfara State. The bandits shot Ille dead in front of his residence in Tsafe town on Monday evening.
The victim was a grassroots politician, who contributed immensely to the success of the party in the 2023 election, which produced Dauda Lawal as the governor.
The incident came a few weeks after a PDP chieftain, Shafiu Abubakar, and two others were killed in Maradun Local Council of the state.
FOLLOWING the emergency security meeting chaired by Governor Abdullahi Sule on Monday, the Nasarawa State government has proscribed all ethnic vigilance groups operating in the state.
The government equally directed affected ethnic groups to hand over their uniforms and weapons to the Commissioner of Police within two weeks.Citing the powers vested in him by Section 97A of the Penal Code, as well as other relevant laws, Sule banned the Fulani ethnic vigilance group known as the Kungiyar Zaman Lafiya, Bassa Vigilante group, as well as the Eggon Vigilante Group through Executive Order No. 1 of 2024, issued yesterday.
“Similar organisations include any association, movement or group of persons or society in whatever name called or form, to provide security among particular ethnic groups within the state through the use of force or arms etc,” part of Executive Order No. 1 of 2024 stated.
Meanwhile, reactions have trailed the ban of the ethnic vigilantes that have operated for years. While some sections of the society commended the proscription, others describe it as pretence of government in the highest order.
“You proscribed a security group you are instrumental in its creation for your selfish political reasons. Now that you have got what you wanted, you are giving them bad name to destroy them,” says Saidu Lamido, a Fulani businessman residing in Keffi. Shetima Abubakar, a resident of Doma, said the governor did all that to impress people who do not understand the secret behind the creation of some of the vigilantes.
Audu Malam in Lafia expressed gladness over the proscription of the groups in the state, noting the poor supervision of security agents over their activities has given room for all forms of criminality in the name of vigilante. Mrs Martha Ajugu said with this proscription most of the vigilantes, members may take to criminality with the hard economic realities and government’s poor handling of security-related issues.
ADAMAWA State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has declared total war on the emergence of new banditry group called ‘Shila Boys’. Shila Boys robbed Adamawa residents at gunpoint, killing and injuring many other victims during their bloody attacks.
Addressing journalists, yesterday, in Yola, the Deputy Governor, Kaletapwa Farauta, said government would no longer tolerate such criminal activities of any gang in the state.
In the new approach to tackle the criminal activities of the gang, Farauta urged the parents of all youths engaged in anti-social activities to warn their wards to change their ways to avoid the wrath of the law.
Yesterday, the Shila gang attacked a lady at the gate of Adamawa State Polytechnic Club in a Toyota car and took time to offload her goods in the tricycle she was travelling with into their vehicle and drove away without any security intervention,
