Bandits abduct Jigawa ex-lawmaker, free Kaduna chief

• NYSC debunks reported death of 189 corps members
• B’Haram not moved from Zamfara to Borno, says NIS
• NGO tasks govts on agric aid as Zulum engages 1,000 hunters to protect farmers

Former member of Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haladu Bako, was, on Wednesday night, been kidnapped at Kangal junction in Taura Local Council of the state on his way to Kano, according to Mansur Ahmed, media aide to former Governor, Sule Lamido.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lawan Adam, confirmed the incident, saying “we are now on the top of the situation.”

HOWEVER, the paramount ruler of Jaba Chiefdom in Kaduna State, Dr. Danladi Maude, has been released after spending two days in the kidnappers’ den.

The first class chief’s brother, Anthony Maude, told journalists in Kaduna that the monarch was released Wednesday evening.

The octogenarian was abducted on Monday in his farm at neighbouring Gitata community of Nasarawa State.

Although his abductors demanded N100 million for his release, the sibling was silent on ransom payment.

IN another development, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) denied reports that 189 corps members had been murdered in Zamfara and Kaduna states, while 376 others were abducted across the North East this year.

The Director, Press and Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi, said no corps member was murdered by bandits this year in the said states, neither was any abducted in the geo-political region as written.

SIMILARLY, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has discredited recent media reports that an internal memo in the agency alerted officers of the movement of bandits from Zamfara to Borno states for intensive Boko Haram training.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Amos Okpu, told The Guardian that the internal memo some portion of the media talked about was misconstrued.

GOVERNOR Babagana Zulum of Borno State has engaged 1,000 hunters to protect farmers in four local councils of the state, namely Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere, Konduga and Mafa.

While flagging off the engagement of hunters yesterday at Khaddamari, the headquarters of Jere, the governor disclosed that the farmers were being protected within a radius of 15 kilometres of Maiduguri metropolis, Khaddamari, Konduga and Mafa.

He urged the review of the security architecture in the state to sustain the gradual restoration of peace across the state and border areas of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

ALSO, Small-scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Gombe State chapter, has lamented increasing rate of insecurity, especially the constant herders/farmers clashes in the North East.

In its 14-point communiqué after a stakeholders’ consultative meeting yesterday, the group added that insecurity in the zone interrupts food production.

The meeting, towards Scaling Up Investment in Agriculture (SUPIA), was organised by Hope Foundation for the Lonely with support from ActionAid Nigeria.

The communiqué signed by the chairman, Yusuf Atiku, urged government to strengthen security mechanism, “to mitigate crises in the region.”