From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The claim by the Federal Government that the recent aerial bombardments of bandits’ hideouts in forests in parts of the Northwest have decimated the ranks of the terrorists, crippled and neutralised their operations, has been roundly dismissed as wishful thinking.
A Professor of Law at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Prof Mohammed Bello Magaji, argued that the government was obviously misinformed by its intelligence service.
Prof Magaji expressed worry over the abundant evidence of under reporting of activities of the terrorists, which led the government to proclaim that bandit activities had abated.
As a researcher who was used to travelling to attend conferences and other events, Magaji said the fear of insecurity has pinned him down in his immediate environment for more than one year.
He told Sunday Sun: “It is wishful thinking for anybody especially the Minister of Information (Lai Mohammed) to claim that the activities of bandits and terrorists had abated. The best that can be said is that there is a lull in their activities. Besides, the under reporting of their activities by the press has unfortunately added to the so-called abatement.
“People cannot be said to be unafraid to travel or feel free to move without the lurking fear that they might be abducted or even killed. Generally, there is palpable fear all around the country. With the attacks on high calibre persons all around the country, the latest being Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, the country is far from being safe.
“Travelling has become the most dangerous activity in Nigeria. Thus by road, air, water or even on foot, travelling is a dangerous activity. As some persons have opined, let whoever says Nigeria is safe or travelling is safe should do so without escorts from Abuja to Kaduna or Kwatorkoshi to Gusau in Zamfara State.
“I have many academic activities in form of conferences, research, and as visiting lecturer, to many parts of Nigeria, but I cannot go because the country is not safe. I have for a whole year been holed up in Yola without any prospect of being fully involved in other equally important academic engagements in other academic institutions. This is compounded by the fact that if anything happens to anyone bordering on security you are on your own. The train hostages predicament is a point in case.
“Presently, you cannot advise anyone as to what to do to avoid being kidnapped. The only solution is to minimise movements and cut down unnecessary travels.This is a very unfortunate and unpleasant remedy to the citizens because it hinders legitimate pursuit of lawful undertakings and for the country, it limits economic, political and cultural growth.”
Like the Jamaican international music artiste said in one of his popular songs, “Who feels it, knows it”, the government’s claim that banditry, kidnapping and other terrorist activities have abated, amounts to hogwash to the family of a woman who gave birth while in captivity.
The family cried out to the federal and Kaduna State governments for financial assistance to pay the N50 million ransom demanded by the terrorists who abducted the pregnant woman and her two sisters.
The three sisters were kidnapped on July 17, 2022, from their family home, where they were tending to their sick mother, in Mando on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.
Their mother, who could not walk unaided before their capture has now been confined to the wheelchair due to the trauma of her children’s abduction.
The eldest of the sisters, who was in advanced stage of pregnancy when they were kidnapped, has given birth in captivity without recourse to medical or human care for both mother and child.
The husband of the woman and father of three children, including the baby born in captivity, Mr Mohammed Alabi, has cried himself hoarse, appealing to the government, organisations and well-to-do individuals to come to his family’s aid as the two children at home have been asking for the whereabouts of their mother.
“My pregnant wife left my house to her parent’s house to cater for her sick mother, only for me to receive a call that she had been kidnapped with her sisters.
“She gave birth at the kidnappers’ camp on Friday August 2, mother and child are not feeling fine, they have not received any medical care. The baby used to cry from night till morning inside the forest,” Alabi said.
Alabi added that they have been subjected to harsh weather conditions, eating and drinking whatever was available in the kidnappers’ den.
However, military troops have continued the onslaught against terrorists in Kaduna forests, killing scores of terrorists and dislodging their camps during clearance operations conducted in locations spanning Chikun and Igabi local government areas of Kaduna State.
The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said the troops killed an unspecified number of terrorists while clearing out camps of insurgents and terrorists at Apewohe in Chikun Local Council Area.
Aruwan further explained: “The operation extended to Dakwala and Kunai hills in the same local government, where more hideouts were cleared, though no contact was made with the bandits.
“Another camp was similarly dislodged at a location known as Daban Lawal Kwalba’ in Igabi LGA, after the troops overpowered heavily armed bandits guarding hostages.
“The troops after clearing out the bandits, stormed the hideouts and rescued 10 kidnapped persons who were chained and bound with ropes.The troops set the hostages free.
Aruwan said the troops came under attack in the thick forest, but the gallant soldiers successfully evacuated the hostages to a military facility, where they were given medical attention before being reunited with their families.
He added that a camp was cleared at Rafin Gwaska, Igabi LGA, during which the following items were recovered: one AK-47 magazine, one AK-47 top cover, four Bafoeng radio chargers, 11 mobile phones, three music boxes, two sets of military uniforms, one flak jacket , spanners, knives and chains.
According to him, Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai commended the troops for the relentless spirit displayed in the ongoing operations, and encouraged them to sustain the efforts to achieve ultimate victory.
The governor warned citizens not to harbour or provide medical aid to suspicious individuals carrying what may be gunshot wounds, stressing that such cases should be immediately reported to the security operatives.