… Scores abducted, police vehicles burnt as bandits launch fresh offensive

Gurara town in Gurara Local Government Area (LGA) and Kampanin-Bobi in Mariga local government area have come under severe attacks from gunmen in the last 48 hours, leaving over 1,000 villagers sacked from homes across the two LGAs.

In Gurara, for instance, the gunmen unleashed terror on the villagers in Kabo, Kutayi, Zebena, Baradna, Gufana and Sabon-gari between Tuesday and yesterday.

In their usual manner, the gunmen riding on a number of motorcycles and all armed with sophisticated weapon, invaded the town in the evening to carry out the attacks.

“They ransacked the entire villages with impunity injuring scores of the villagers before carting away other valuables with special target on food items and cash.

The gunmen, it was gathered, burnt down about two police operational vehicles before leaving the town.

A source close to Gawu Babangida, the headquarters of the local government, said the gunmen also set some houses on fire, forcing many of the villagers to escape to safer communities.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that shortly after the attacks, armed security men were dispatched to the communities to restore law and order.

However, at Kampanin-Bobi, in Mariga local government, scores of people were also kidnapped in Kwampany-bobi yesterday, while others fled the community into the bush for safety.

Several villagers, mostly women and children, were abducted. A source close to the local vigilantes in the area said the invasion b the gunmen started at about 11pm on Tuesday, and continued till the early hours of yesterday.

“As I speak to you now seven women and two men have been kidnapped, and we don’t know their whereabouts. This is the fourth attack on Kwampany bobi by the bandits in the last two weeks,” our source said.

All these are coming in the amidst growing apprehension among the Catholic faithful over the safety of the Catholic priest, Reverend Leo Ozigi, who was abducted by gunmen, along Sarkinpawa- Minna road, last Sunday afternoon.

The apprehension follows lack of contact with the Catholic Church by the relations of the priest and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger state chapter.

One of the colleagues of the abducted clergyman, Reverend Basil Sarki, however, told Daily Sun that, “Nobody has made contact with us, but we are trusting God that he is alive”.

Sarki said he had personally retrieved the vehicle of the abducted clergyman from the spot where he was kidnapped.