THE President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has charged security chiefs to devise tactics to solve the country’s security challenges, especially the spate of abductions and killings in the North-West and North-Central.
The President gave the marching order just as bandits struck on Monday and Tuesday in Katsina and Kaduna states, abducting 26 persons, including women and children.
The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, revealed this while speaking to State House Correspondents after a meeting on Tuesday with President Buhari.
According to Alkali, the President also directed security chiefs to intensify their efforts to restore security across the country to enable citizens to go about their normal lives.
He said, “Yes, we had a brief security meeting. Service chiefs and the intelligence chiefs have been able to brief the President on the security situation of the country.
“The new marching order is that all the service chiefs and intelligence chiefs have been warned to go and reinvigorate efforts and to do more so that the North-Central and Nigeria at large should enjoy better security.
“The President has also observed and made a remark that the constitutional responsibility of government is the provision of security, is one and is foremost and he is ready to provide such.”
Ex-NBC director, daughter, others kidnapped
Earlier, gunmen suspected to be bandits struck again in Katsina and Kaduna states, abducting 26 persons, including women and children.
Among those kidnapped on Tuesday in Katsina State were three children of the Deputy Provost of the Isa Kaita College of Education, Dr Ismaila Funtua, and a retired director of the National Broadcasting Commission, Alhaji Ahmed Abdulkadir, and his teenage daughter.
However, no fewer than 18 persons were seized by the bandits when they invaded Keke Community in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The abduction of the Funtua’s three children happened around 1am after they broke the walls of the college of education in Katsina.
It was learnt that the downpour in the town during the time aided the gunmen as those living close to that of the deputy provost’s apartment on the campus were oblivious of the incident until daybreak.
The heavy rainfall was also said to have prevented the institution’s security personnel to be wary of the incident.
One of the sources, who pleaded for anonymity, revealed, “Yes, gunmen went to the deputy provost’s house located within the college’s residential area and they abducted three of his children.
“The deputy provost was not in the house when the gunmen went there. He was in Funtua council area, where one of his wives resides. The bandits entered the school premises after breaking part of the wall surrounding the school. The security personnel didn’t see or hear them due to the heavy rainfall.”
However, the spokesman for the Command, Gambo Isah, did not answer several calls put across to his mobile phone and had yet to reply a text message sent t
Retired NBC boss, daughter, three others seized
Also in Katsina, Abdulkadir, who is also an ex-General Manager of the State Television (KTTV), was whisked away alongside his teenage daughter by another set of bandits.
Residents disclosed that the gunmen stormed his residence at Shema Quarters, Bakori LGA of the state in the early hours of Tuesday and began to shoot sporadically before they took them away.
It was further learnt that the gunmen also abducted three other persons in the community before moving all the victims into the forests.
Recall that gunmen had over the weekend abducted members of the families of two lawmakers in the state.
18 persons whisked away in Kaduna
Similarly, some bandits invaded Keke Community in Millennium City, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State and abducted no fewer than 18 persons, including women and children.
A resident, who sought anonymity, told one of our correspondents on Tuesday that the incident happened on Monday night.
The bandits, he said, took their time to move from house to house to operate unhindered for several hours.
“Hours after the bandits left, we discovered they went away with 18 residents, mostly women and children to an unknown destination,” the source said.
The state police command’s Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Jalige, could not be reached.
Kidnappers free Katsina SSG’s brother six days after abduction
However, Alhaji Kabir Muhammed, the septuagenarian brother of the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Dr. Inuwa, abducted last Wednesday, has been released by his abductors.
Muhammed was whisked away from his farm in Daftau community, in the Danmusa council area.
The spokesman for the SSG, Mallam Kabir Yaardua, confirmed the development on Tuesday.
A top security source said, “The abductors released the elder brother, Muhammed, on Monday night and he has reunited with the family. Nothing was paid as ransom as we released the father of the leader of the abductors after the victim was released to us unharmed.”
