In a fresh Kaduna attack, terrorists have killed a commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Umaru Adamu Jankunu, and another resident before abducting 16 others including medical personnel.
The bandits attacked Sabon Gero community in Millennium City of Chikun local government area of Kaduna State.
The incident, according to a competent sources, occurred at 11:39pm on Tuesday and lasted up to early hours of yesterday.
LEADERSHIP, however, gathered that six persons among those abducted managed to escape from the abductors.
It was further learnt that the JTF commander and other members opened fire at the terrorists but was unfortunately not aware that the terrorists were very close to them.
The terrorists opened fire and hit the commander on his legs and he fell down and they shot him on the head scattering his skull. While, a resident that was also hit with a bullet died on the way to the hospital, the source disclosed.
This attack came days after seven residents of Keke A and Keke B communities in the same area including the wife of a soldier were kidnapped.
The source who pleaded anonymity said, “Some of us were still doing some house chores when we started hearing gunshots. The terrorists broke into people’s houses and took them away, they also took away other residents while they were trying to flee.”
Another source said, “I learnt two JTF members were killed in the attack while trying to stop the bandits from kidnapping some residents.”
A member of the JTF who gave his name as Isa Usman confirmed the killing of their commander.
According to him, ‘We took his corpse to his wife and later buried him. We are just coming from the burial ground.”
Also narrating their ordeal, a resident in the area, Jacob Isa, said the situation could have been worse if not that they quickly informed neighbouring communities who came out to chase the terrorists.
“That’s how we were able to rescue six abducted persons,” he added.
When contacted, the police public relations officer (PPRO), Muhammed Jalige, did not respond to calls put through to him as at the time of filing the report.
And barely after a week Mallam Tukur who is negotiating the release of the kidnapped passengers of the 28th March train attack raised the alarm to the federal government about the poor and deteriorating health conditions of the remaining 50 passengers revealed that some of the victims suffered from snake attacks and bites, he had also revealed that one of the victims by name Mohammed Al’Amin had been shot by one of the guards guarding them.
According to Mamu who is the publisher of Desert Herald, credible information available to him has it that the incident happened on Monday during a “friendly exchanges of fire at the forest between the abductors that are guarding the victims and preventing them from possible escape.”
Ansaru terrorists organisation had threatened to stop feeding their victims and start executing them within a week, but took painstaking engagement with the group and with the cooperation of the federal government for Mamu to pacify them to drop the idea.
In the opinion of Mallam Mamu and even though he said such an incidence that resulted in the shooting can happen, “it could also be intentional from them for the purpose of sending a message. Killing of their victims is something we know they can do. They have threatened to do that before.
He said the government must be prepared to take full responsibility if they didn’t act fast. “There has been communication constantly but government is yet to take a decision. I know what is in this crisis and that is why I keep emphasising that President Muhammadu Buhari must be prepared to take painful decisions, painful compromises if they are really committed to securing this innocent victims alive.
“With what we have succeeded in doing, the windows of opportunity we opened, the government has the power to bring this to an end within three to four days. I assure them we can do it with their support and cooperation, and if it didn’t happen as long as government do the needful, I will agree and accept to take full responsibility.
“Cases of emergency such as this doesn’t require unnecessary bureaucracy. I can confirm to you that the said passenger has been shot”.
Mamu said even though he initially decided to disengage from the negotiations for personal reasons, pleas from family members of the victims, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi including those in government at the highest official level made him to reconsider the decision in the interest of the innocent lives that were held hostage for over three months now.
He said he pleaded with the abductors on Tuesday to free the victim that was shot whom they said is in a critical condition to allow government to treat his emergency case, but they vehemently refused insisting that they would not entertain any demand except government attend to theirs too.
In the alternative, Mamu advised the government to deal with the abductors directly to see an end to the uncertainty as soon as possible.
The publisher has also confirmed and lamented that the health condition of many of the hostages is bad and insisted that even if to assume there is no threat from the abductors, most of them may hardly survive the condition if government did not take urgent steps to secure their release as soon as possible.
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