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From John Adams Minna
A senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, has commended the efforts of a Joint Security Task Force in Niger State for rescuing 29 kidnapped victims in Munya Local Government Area of the state, describing the operation as brave and a welcome development.
Musa was particularly full of praises for the task force for the restoration of relative peace in the troubled communities in his constituency that have been under siege from the activities of bandits for years now.
The senator, who was reacting to the rescue of the kidnapped victims from Pai and Dangunu communities around Munya Local Government Area of the state after two days of operations by the security task force in the bush, urged the task force to sustain the momentum until total peace is restored.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits in their numbers on Tuesday night at about 11:30pm invaded Pai community and abducted 10 people, including women.
The Tuesday night abduction, however, came barely three weeks after a man was killed and his entire family of 16 were taken away by gunmen from Dangunu community in the same Munya council of the state.
A source close to the community told Daily Sun that the Joint Security Task Force stationed in the area mobilised on Wednesday and stormed the bush for the rescue operation of the victims.
It was gathered that after over five hours of combing the bush, the task force successfully rescued the victims that were kidnapped last Tuesday night, including three timber dealers who were earlier taken into hostage by the bandits.
According to the source, the operation continued last Thursday and this led to the rescue of all the 16 members of one family abducted three weeks ago, after their father was killed by the bandits following severe beating and the body dumped at the riverside.
Musa, however, pointed out that the efforts of the security agents in the last couple of months now have, no doubt, brought a sigh of relief to the people, stressing that “peace is gradually returning to my constituency and I want to commend the security task force for their gallant and brave fight against the bandits.
“I urged them to sustain the momentum until we achieve total peace in all the troubled communities. The people must be allowed to go about their farming and other commercial business activities without any form of harassment or molestation.
“We will give them all the necessary support to enable them win the war against these enemies of the people and the country in general. The people must sleep with eyes closed,” he said.
The security task force stationed at Mangoro village in Munya council had in recent time recorded a number of successes in the war against bandits and other insurgents in the area.
The security task force had two months ago neutralised a notorious kidnap kingpin, Kachala and 38 others when they (gunmen) attempted to invade their camp with the intention of dislodging them.
The killing of Kachala came barely one month after one of the notorious bandits leader, Jambros and 50 of his men were eliminated by the air component of the operation Whirl Punch of the Nigerian Military in Kusasu River in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
