The recent deployment of a large number of military men to Zamfara State to counter the persistent attacks by cattle rustlers on rural communities has started yielding results. Ovet 48 rustlers have been killed and over 500 cows recovered.
A couple of days ago, LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt that soldiers were drafted into some forest areas across the state where the rustlers used as hideouts. Our reporter gathered that, last Thursday, the rustlers’ camps in a forest near Wanke villge in Gusau local government area was ambushed by the military.
There were also speculations that the soldiers had ambushed another camp and killed about 18 in a bush near Mayaba village, about 30 kilometres to Yargaladima village where more than 250 innocent villagers were confirmed killed by the gunmen last month.
A similar development was reported to have allegedly occurred on the same day in a forest near Anka local government area where scores of such killers were shot by the soldiers. It is however alleged that some local gold miners mistakenly lost their lives in the military operation.
In a similar operation, there were reports that about 30 insurgents were Friday morning cornered and killed by the soldiers in an ambush near Bakura town of Bakura local government area.
Although all efforts to speak with a military commander in Gusau, Major Hamma Sale, proved abortive, a reliable source close to the military confided in our correspondent that it was true that a bandits ‘camp in Bakura forest was destroyed and that 30 of their members were killed while one of their notorious leaders called Mallam Bello and two of his sons were captured along with 11 others at Dankaiwa village where many IED receptacles, exploder batteries and other dangerous weapons were captured.
The source also told LEADERSHIP Sunday that while some of the gang embers were still fleeing, a lot of them were captured in areas like Dankaiwa, Birnin Tudu and Kuzi in Bakura local government area. In the encounter, “one of our army men was killed and his body was deposited at the Bakura General Hospital, while three had fractures from gunshots and were referred to Kano Orthopaedic Hospital for treatment,’’ he said.
An eyewitness from Bakura area, Bala Lawali, told our correspondent that he saw a large number of heavily armed soldiers in trucks heading towards some forests. The state commissioner of information, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad Birnin Magaji, who was contacted on phone said since he was away from the state he was not aware of what actually happened, but he said he was aware of the arrival of the military squad. Leadership.
Let them die
@BlackieUmukoro. The people that you flippantly wrote off “Let them die” are fellow Nigerians you know. If the military was called in to deal with this sort of issue where you live would you feel the same way about the indiscriminate killings?
The article stated that local miners and ordinary civilians might have been inadvertently killed by the Nigerian military in these operations. If this were in our own community we wouldn’t be so sanguine. There is usually a presumption of innocence where the alleged criminal is arrested and prosecuted. These so-called rustlers should be subdued, arrested and prosecuted and jailed. It would also ensure that innocent people that are in the wrong place at the wrong time are not unduly harmed.
This lack of sensitivity about loss of life in other Nigerian communities that are not our own points to larger issues about whether we are really one country and one people!
They kill without mercy, so why should they be shown mercy. Those they killed have a right to live, so forget that thing Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
I understand that “they kill without mercy”. After all, that’s what criminals do. But do you not think that the specific people who did the killing should be identified and prosecuted? In this sort of military operation do you think all those people killed by the military were guilty? If you were to transpose the situation to where you live do you think that the military should just come in and start killing “suspects” where innocent civilians might also be killed?
These are the sort of things that I’m trying to get you to see. I have no sympathy for the true perpetrators but the method of apprehending them, where innocent civilians are also killed, should worry all well-meaning Nigerians. Cheers.
There was a sustained gun battle before the criminals were killed. So there couldn’t, have been any, innocent person on the side of the gangsters. Again all those killed wore similar attire, with charms and arms. Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
I didn’t read any news that ALL those killed had charms and were armed. In any case, I don’t think that the military is well-suited for these types of operations. I think that Nigeria’s security structure is not effective to keep Nigerians safe. I think it is perhaps safer to experiment with “community police” that is closer to the people. The military are trained to kill and not to handle domestic policing issues. Cheers.
Boko haram are trained to kill, slaughter, bomb, burn, maim and destroy with viciousness and there is nothing DOMESTIC about them. They need our Army to eliminate them and not village police please Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
Let’s not be deceived about this arm of boko haram specialising in rustling cattle but also killing people and destroying property. They masquerade in various forms. Most part of the northern region is infested with such miscreants.