•All the killings were reported in three of Nigeria’s six regions.
By Nasir Ayitogo
At least 42 people were killed in various attacks by non-state actors across Nigeria last week (February 6-12).
About 11 of those killed were security personnel including 10 police officers and one soldier. The others were civilians.
The figure signifies a slight decline when compared to the previous week when at least 45 persons were killed.
All the killings were reported in three of Nigeria’s six regions: South-west, South-East and North-west.
Premium Times compiled the incidents from media reports. Thus, unreported cases are not included.
Below are the recorded incidents:
North-west
At least 13 people were killed and many others abducted by bandits in attacks they carried out between Monday night and Tuesday morning in three communities in Katsina State.
The three communities, Guga, Gidan Kanawa and Dukawa, are in the Bakori and Funtua local government area, all in the southern part of the state, sharing boundaries with Kaduna.
Also in Katsina, gunmen suspected to be bandits killed a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) during an attack on Jibia town in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The slain security operative, Abdulkarim Rano, was until his death the officer in charge of the Divisional Police Headquarters in Jibia. A soldier and one other person were also killed in the attack but their identities could not be ascertained.
In Zamfara State, five residents of Rogoji in Bakura Local Government Area were killed in an early morning raid by bandits on Thursday.
Confirming the deaths, residents said the bandits carried out the attack to punish them for providing information, about the bandits, to security agents and vigilantes.
South-west
Gunmen in military camouflage killed a businessman, Femi Oso, at Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
PT gathered that Mr Oso was killed at his filling station, Osofem Oil and Gas, at NITEL bus stop at around 10 p.m. on Sunday.
In Oyo State, six persons including two police officers allegedly lost their lives as armed robbers attacked a bullion van at the Idi ape area of Ibadan.
Witnesses told PT that the criminals attacked the bullion van when it stopped before a traffic light.
South-east
Suspected cultists, on Tuesday, killed seven people during an attack at Mmaahu community in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, South-east Nigeria.
The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, who confirmed this in a statement Wednesday afternoon, said the masked gunmen, numbering about 20, were led by one Ossy, an escapee from the Imo State correctional centre, Owerri, the state capital.
In Enugu, there was palpable tension in the metropolis on Thursday afternoon as gunmen killed three policemen at a checkpoint in the state.
The incident was said to have happened around 1:20 pm at a police checkpoint near Ulumalinda Estate by Maryland suburb of the Enugu South Local Government Area of the state.
Barely two days after the three officers were killed, another team of four policemen on stop-and-search duty at the outskirts of Enugu metropolis were shot dead by armed hoodlums.
The incident happened at about 3 p.m. on Saturday, at Obeagu community along Amaechi-Ekeotu-Agbani Town Road; leaving the road deserted till 7 p.m.
Way forward
As part of the measures to check the rising insecurity across the nation, the Nigerian police called for legislation that would compel private citizens, including government agencies and corporate organisations, to install CCTV cameras and security sensors on their facilities.
The police made the call on Wednesday at the end of their two-day retreat and conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The retreat was attended by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, and about 148 other senior police officers from the rank of commissioner of police and above from all over the country.
According to a statement on Friday from the deputy spokesperson of the Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, the retreat “emphasised on intelligence as the brainbox of policing and proposed a legislation that will place an obligation on government agencies, corporate bodies, estate developers and private individuals to install CCTV cameras and security sensors on their facilities as a standard practice amongst others.”
Mr Adejobi, a chief superintendent of police, said a communique that captured the proposal, had been sent to relevant authorities, including President Muhammadu Buhari’s office, the National Security Adviser, the National Assembly, Ministry Of Police Affairs, and the office of the Chief of Defence Staff.
Mr Baba said officers must “embrace intelligence-driven approaches towards effective policing of the nation.”
Credit | PT