From John Adams, Minna
The Nupe Kingdom in Niger State have declared a total spiritual war against terrorists and gunmen terrorising the people in the area, killing over 50 within 48 hours, while many others are being held hostage in the bush with no escape route.
The Nupe kingdom in Niger state, politically referred to as Niger South Senatorial District comprises eight local government areas which include Bida, Lavun, Mokwa, Gbako, Katcha, Agaie, Lapai and Edati.
The kingdom had remained peaceful since banditry activities began in the state over six years ago, until last week Monday, when gunmen, in their hundreds invaded some communities in Lavun local government area and killed over 14 people and injured several others.
Communities invaded by the gunmen include Egbako, Ndaruka Ebbo Tsonga Dagabi Tsonga, Gogata and Ndakogitsu. Others are Ndagbegi Sokiara,Yekoko and Satifu, all in Lavun local government area.
A newly wedded bride was whisked away from the venue of the wedding by the rampaging gunmen who also rustled an unspecified number of cattle.
Barely 24 hours after the invasion, the people declared a total spiritual war against the gunmen and went all out in search of them.
The spiritual war was led by the Maiyakin Nupe (Traditional Chief warlord), assisted by other powerful spiritual warriors in the kingdom, and the gunmen were immediately surrounded in the bush.
All the kidnapped victims, including the rustled cattle were abandoned by the gunmen who could not retrace their route back from the communities and were left roaming in the bush helplessly, as they met their Waterloo in the hands of the people.
At the time of filing the report, yesterday, an unspecified number of them had been neutralised by the local vigilantes, while a manhunt for the remaining ones in the bush was still ongoing.
Although the youths in the area had, on Tuesday, protested and blocked the ever busy Bida-Mokwa highway, over what they called “lack of action” from the government after the gunmen attack, the people have asked the government to steer clear from the ongoing spiritual war against the criminals.
The people have equally called on sons and daughters of the Nupe kingdom to support the ongoing war against the terrorists.
It was reliably gathered that two suspected informants, including a man who supplies them with bread, arrested at Edozhigi community in Gbako Local Government have, also, met their Waterloo, sending a signal to others to divorce themselves from romancing the terrorists.
The Maiyaki Nupe (the traditional chief war lord) in the Bida Emirate council, Mallam Alh Alhassan Bida, said Nupe land has been declared a no-go-area for the terrorists or any criminal as any attempt to disrupt the peace of the area will be met with heavy resistance.
Maiyaki Nupe explained that upon receiving the information of the attack by the terrorists, a mini shrine was immediately created where incantation to provoke the spirit was perfected.
“As I am talking to you now, there is nobody in their captivity, even the rustled animals, including the bride and her friends that were kidnapped at Gbacitagi community have been rescued. We are all out for them,” he said.