Insecurity: Four killed as violent deaths reduce across Nigeria last week

At least four people died as reported violent deaths reduced across Nigeria last week, the lowest in the past four months since PREMIUM TIMES has been tracking insecurity incidents across the country.

At least 10 persons were, however, reported kidnapped during the week under review.

This newspaper reported how Nigerian soldiers repelled Boko Haram attack at the University of Maiduguri on Sunday and also how the Air Force destroyed the insurgents’ hideout on Saturday.

In another development, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, criticised Nigeria’s service chiefs for failing to attend a meeting he called to discuss security matter affecting the nation.

Mr Gbajabiamila threatened to report the service chiefs to President Muhammadu Buhari. The speaker stated this in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Lanre Lasisi, on Friday.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Ibok Ekwe Ibas, and the Chief of the Air Staff (CAF), Sadique Abubakar, had sent in their representatives to a security meeting convened by the speaker but they were turned back.

Mr Gbajabiamila described the action of the service chiefs as ”an insult to the Parliament” and also vowed to report the matter to the President.

Sunday:

The police in Akwa Ibom on Sunday confirmed that three persons were killed in a cult clash between Axe and Vikings confraternities in Onna Local Government Area of the state.

Police spokesperson in the state, Odiko Mac-Don, told journalists in Uyo that aside from the three persons, some others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the clash

PREMIUM TIMES also reported how soldiers repelled Boko Haram attack at the University of Maiduguri on Sunday night.

Sources at the university, located along the Maiduguri-Bama road, said deafening sounds of gunshots were heard echoing from a direction the female hostels are located.

The gunshots lasted for about an hour and a half as soldiers engaged the intruding Boko Haram gunmen, military sources confirmed.

The Nigerian police confirmed the abduction of a woman identified as Aisha Umar Ardo in Abuja.

According to Daily Trust Newspaper, the lady, also known as Ummi, was reportedly taken away at about 7:45 p.m at Blinkers Shopping Mall in Asokoro by gunmen in ash coloured Toyota Camry.

The spokesperson of the police in the FCT, Anjuguri Manza, in a statement said the victim was coming out of the shopping mall with provisions in her hand when the gunmen blocked her with their vehicle and whisked her away.

New Telegraph reported how unknown gunmen on Sunday abducted a stalwart of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide and younger brother of a governorship aspirant of thePDP, Robert Igali, and three others in Elele community in Rivers State while on a visit to accident victims in the hospital.

The accident victims, according to an eyewitness account, were returning from the marriage ceremony of one of the aides of the member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Preye Oseke, in Mbaise Council Area of Imo State when their bus was involved in an accident.

It was further learnt that Mr Igali and three of his friends, who on hearing the news, rushed to the scene of the accident from Yenagoa, were kidnapped by unknown gunmen at Madonna University Teaching Hospital in Elele Community where the accident victims were receiving treatment.

Unidentified gunmen killed one Mamman Bayaro and injured another person identified as Mohammed Ibrahim at Kadunu village in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau.

Terna Tyopev, the Police spokesperson told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, that the incident occurred on Sunday.

Friday:

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) at the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology Igbo-Ora, Opadijo Olujide, and four others were reported kidnapped on Friday.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Olujide, the secretary of the union, Gbenga Alayande, and three others were kidnapped on their way from a meeting which held on Thursday in Saki.

“It happened on Thursday. They were returning from a union meeting in Saki. Five of them were kidnapped. Four of them are staff members of the school. The other one is the wife of one of the victims,” an official of the institution said.

“The school authorities have been making frantic effort to secure their freedom. The police are monitoring the situation.

“The Commissioner of Police was in Igbo-ora in the morning (Friday).

“The school is being careful. But the school may update the public when it gets updates.”

However, the Public Relations Officer of the police in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, who confirmed the abduction, said the police were investigating the matter.

The victims regained their freedom on Saturday.

Also, gunmen suspected to be insurgents on Friday invaded the Monguno General Hospital in Borno State, carting away drugs and other hospital equipment.

This comes a day after the Theatre Command of Operation Lafia Dole declared the Action Against Hunger (AAH), persona non-grata for allegedly aiding and abetting terrorists in the northeast

Channels TV reported that they came in through the water board camp and left quietly without hurting anyone after their mission.

They also reportedly looted the belongings of displaced persons residing behind the hospital.

Saturday:

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it neutralised scores of terrorists and destroyed their hideouts in separate airstrikes conducted at Durbada (also known as Bula Mongoro), Abaganaram and Tumbun Rego in Borno.

NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Ibikunle Daramola, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

He said the air raids were conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole between September 13 and September 20.

Mr Daramola, an air commodore, said the raids were carried out based on credible Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports