- Anxiety heightens as Boko Haram/ISWAP, bandits abduct soldiers in Yobe, Edo States
There is anxiety as the Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and bandits target and abduct Armed Forces of Nigeria personnel at will.
On Saturday, two Nigerian Army personnel, Bello Abubakar and Oyediran Adedotun, were abducted by terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, in the Goni Masari area of Borno State. They were kidnapped while travelling to Kano, in a civilian vehicle.
And on Tuesday, seven personnel of the Nigerian Navy were abducted in Edo State. They were from the Nigerian Navy School of Armament Technology, Kaduna to the Nigerian Naval Engineering College, Sapele, Delta State.
However, five of them were rescued while two are still being held by the bandits.
This caused tension among the citizens that if they serving military personnel are abducted at random, then everyone else is at the mercy of terrorists and bandits.
Last Thursday, unknown gunmen kidnapped and killed Navy Captain Yakubu Agwom, a retired officer of the Nigerian Navy.
About two weeks ago, Major General Hassan Ahmed, former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, who was killed by bandits at Abaji, along Abuja-Lokoja highway.
What is generating worries is that going by these abductions, for example, the military no longer has access to use the road linking Maiduguri to Damaturu without sustained armed escort because of the spate of the abduction of soldiers in civil vehicles since the past few days.
As an interim measure, the Nigerian Army has barred soldiers from travelling on the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road in Borno State.
A source said that the ban was conveyed in a letter in which approval of passes for soldiers under Operation Hadin Kai would be put on hold till August 21.
According to the letter, “In view of the series or abduction of military personnel, I am directed to convey the suspension of passes till August 21.
“I’m to add that commands should ensure their respective GI cells coordinate the movement of those on pass, either they go through the welfare flight or escorted from to Damaturu. Consequently, I am directed to respectively convey that no officers/soldiers are permitted to use public transport.”