TERRORISTS have struck again in Kwara State, abducting 11 residents of Isapa community in Ekiti Local Government Area. This is just 24 hours after the kidnapped worshippers in a neighbouring Eruku village were released.
The fresh attack occurred in the early hours of Monday, but was not disclosed until today. It was reported that the terrorists reportedly fired gunshots into the air, scaring residents. An elderly woman was, however, hit by a stray bullet during the incident.
A community leader, who confirmed the development under strict anonymity, said: “Eleven people were kidnapped, seven of them from the same household,” Daily Trust reported.
The abducted persons were identified as Talatu Kabiru, 20; Magaji, 6; Kande, 5; Hadiza, 10; Mariam, 6; Saima, 5; a housewife, Habibat; another housewife, Fatima Yusufu; a pregnant woman, Sarah Sunday, 22; a nursing mother, Lami Fidelis, 23; and another nursing mother, Haja Na Allah.
Lagos tightens security
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, said the command had increased deployments to schools, worship centres and other public places to prevent insecurity incidents
Speaking at the command headquarters, Ikeja, Mr Jimoh said: “We want the general public to know that Lagos is safe and secure. We have made additional deployments to all schools, places of worship, religious centres and other locations frequently visited by people to ensure all worshippers are safe. This will continue into the New Year and beyond to ensure the safety of all Lagosians and other Nigerians coming into the state. We don’t have any concern to be worried about; we are beefing up security throughout the state.”
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The police commissioner said the onslaughts on the men of the underworld had been yielding results, urging residents to adopt stricter security measures and avoid leaving their car keys carelessly with strangers or newly engaged workers.
“So, we should be more security conscious by ensuring that when we take our vehicle to a car wash, and we don’t leave the key of the car with the car wash attendant. We should ensure this security measure so that we don’t get our vehicle stolen,” he further said.
Insecurity rising in Nigeria
Terrorists are now more emboldened to carry out fiercer attacks in Nigeria, particularly in schools. Last Monday, gunmen kidnapped 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State, shooting the principal.
The late-night attack left the vice principal, Mr Hassan Yakubu Makuku, dead after he reportedly tried shielding the students from the attackers.
The same day, terrorists kidnapped Fr. Bobbo Paschal from St. Stephen Parish of Kaduna Catholic Archdiocese, where he serves as Parish Priest.
On Tuesday, no fewer than five persons were killed and several others abducted after terrorists attacked Eruku, a boundary town with Kogi State.
Gunmen also attacked a church in the town in the evening of the same day, killing at least two people and kidnapping the pastor and some worshippers. One month earlier, 18 worshippers had been kidnapped. They were, however, released yesterday.
Nigeria’s president also confirmed that Brig. Gen. Musa Uba was killed by a terrorist group while in captivity, days after he was kidnapped by ISWAP militants in Borno State. The attack had also claimed the lives of four other soldiers.
Earlier on Saturday, terrorists killed three persons and abducted at least 64 others at Fegin Baza village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The incident happened a day after Minister of State for Defence and former governor of the state, Mr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, visited the state and claimed that the Defence Headquarters had deployed fresh troops, according to Daily Trust.
The terrorists also kidnapped 315 pupils in a Catholic school in Niger State on Thursday, out of which 50 have escaped.
Currently, unity schools have been shut down, just as the Plateau State government has ordered the closure of schools in the state over possible security breach.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Jos has also cancelled the 2025 Christ the King procession earlier scheduled to hold across all its parishes, pastoral areas and chaplaincies, citing rising security concerns in Nigeria and particularly in Plateau State. Hence, the fear of attacks by terrorists is forcing federal and subnational governments into taking unwanted decisons.
