President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met again with members of the National Security Council (NSC), charging them to devise tactics to solve the country’s security challenges, especially the spate of abductions and killings in the Northwest and Northcentral Nigeria.
President Buhari’s warning came just as terrorists and bandits struck on Monday and Tuesday in Katsina and Kaduna States, abducting 26 persons, including women and children.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali, told journalists at the end of the meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that 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.
According to the IGP, “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.”
This is just as the spate of insecurity especially kidnappings is yet to abate, with 26 persons, including women and children abducted in Katsina and Kaduna States.
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.”
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 terrorists.
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.
And in Kaduna State, another band of terrorists 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.
Meanwhile, 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 Spokesperson 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.”
