From John Adams, Minna
An atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety pervade in Damba village, Kurebe district in Shiroro local government area of Niger state as eight canter loaded with suspected Boko Haram Terrorists arrived the village and ordered the villagers to relocate.
The arrival of the Terrorist group on Sunday, according to a reliable source close to the community, has created panic and fear among the villagers who have began to relocate to neighboring villages even before the Terrorists settled down.
Although Damba village is under Chukun local government area of Kaduna state, it borders Kaore village in Niger state with all the about 600 inhabitants transacting their businesses and daily activities in the state, including farming.
Only an extension of river Shiroro separating Damba community with Kaore in Niger state, even though people of the villages around Damba have lost their peace over a year ago when the Terrorists officially established their camp there.
The Chairman of Shiroro local government, Mallam Suleiman Chukuba who confirmed the latest influx of the Terrorists to Damba, told the Daily Sun in Minna on Monday that the eight canters load of the Terrorists arrived in the early hours of Sunday.
“Immediately they arrived, my People called me to inform me about it. As I speak to you now the entire villages within the area are now almost deserted. The people are beginning to relocate”.
According to the Chairman, villages like Katarma, Rijiya Uku and Laidna have been deserted as the people have left their homes and have all relocated to neighboring villages.
The Terrorists have asked the villagers to vacate their houses for them to enable them settle down, even as their mission to the area is yet unknown.
Recalled that in April last year, the state governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani told the whole world in a press conference that Boko Haram Terrorists have hoisted their flag in Kaore village in Shiroro local government.
In another development, the Chairman also confirmed the killing of a husband and wife at Napala village in Erena District on Monday by gunmen.
The husband and wife, according to the Chairman, were earlier abducted from their farm by the gunmen but decided to kill them midway into the journey after the combined team of soldiers and local vigilantes gave them a hot chase on receiving the distress call.
Some of the gunmen were however neutralized during the ensued fierce gun battle with the soldiers and the local vigilantes, while a soldier was said to have been injured.
Meanwhile, two of the gunmen who invaded a construction site along Minna-Lambata-Izom road in Niger state on Monday have been killed by a combined team of Police, Soldiers and the local vigilantes.
A statement by the state police command on Tuesday in Minna said a number of the gunmen however escaped into the bush with bullets injuries, even as the statement added that the security operatives are still on trail of them with a view to apprehend them.
Four motorcycles that were used by the gunmen for the operation were recovered by the Joint Security Team, adding that non of the security agents was hurt during the exchange with the gunmen.
According to the Police Command in the statement signed by the Public Relation Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun disclosed that upon the receipt of this information that gunmen had blocked Minna-Suleja road, the Command mobilised a team of Police operatives, Military personnel from Zuma barracks, Suleja and vigilante members to the area.
“The hoodlums were vehemently engaged in a gun battle, and on the process, two bandits were neutralised and four motorcycles were recovered from the bandits, while others escaped into the forest with gunshot injuries”.
Wasiu pointed out that “due to the gun battle, there was temporary motorists stoppage along Suleja-Minna road, but normalcy was later restored for free flow of traffic”.