41 Persons Killed, Over 22 Abductions: Nigeria's Weekly Security Report – Dec 25 - 31, 2023

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The week under review was dominated by the Christmas Eve massacre which culminated in the death of 195 persons in Plateau State. Apart from the plateau incident, the period also witnessed 41 deaths across eleven states including the federal capital territory. There were also several abductions across multiple locations.

However, the outrage that greeted the carnage in plateau state has sparked national and international discussions; a lot of focus centered on the failure of intelligence in Nigeria’s prosecution of the ongoing war against bandits and terrorists. Nigeria’s chief agencies saddled with intelligence responsibilities include the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), State Security Services (SSS), Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), and Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), etc Each of these agencies draws their budgetary allocations from the national defence budget. Defence allocations have steadily increased since Nigeria upped the ante against insurgents.

For instance, in the 2024 appropriation Act, 12% of the N28.7 trillion naira ($34 billion) budget was allocated to defence. ?In 2023, defence got an initial allocation of N1; 383,921,175,708 trillion with an additional supplementary allocation of N476.543bn. However many believe that the various military agencies are yet to justify their huge allocations. This opinion also draws strength from the free reign of non-state actors who continue to dominate the country’s ungoverned spaces. ?

The killings have also increased calls for ‘State Police.’ Advocates of state police believe that the decentralization of the country’s policing system would empower sub-regional state actors to adequately provide security for their various states. At present, although the Nigerian constitution recognizes the state governors as chief security officers, they however lack administrative and operational authority over the commissioners of police in their various states. The commissioners of police only take lawful instructions from the Inspector General of Police who is based in Abuja.

The plateau bloodbath has also revived the embers of bitter ethnic and religious rhetoric in Nigeria’s north-central region. Umbrella regional groups such as the Middle Belt Forum have accused security agencies of complicity in the unprecedented attacks. They alleged that the major objective of the coordinated killings in the region is geared towards wiping out the aborigines and Christians who are the major victims of killer herders and banditry attacks. The middle belt forum which called on governors of the region to take steps to protect their people also alleged most of the displaced communities have been occupied and renamed to reflect Muslim territories by the bandits and killer-herders.

Although the federal government has issued stern directives to the military to apprehend the perpetrators, the repeated attacks on December 29, 2023, only underline the fragile state of the national security architecture.

Police confirm passengers abduction in Cross River Dec 31, 2023

Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of some passengers around Nde 3 Corners Akparabong Junction in Ikom Local Government Area of the state.

The passengers, who were in transit, were said to have been ambushed by gunmen who shot at their vehicles, injuring three, while the gunmen took away an unspecified number.

The spokesperson for the command, SP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, however, declined to give details of the attack but said the incident occurred on Sunday.

Again, Gunmen kill three in fresh Plateau attack – Dec 29, 2023

Gunmen killed three youths in fresh attack in? Bokkos Local Government Area, Sunday PUNCH?was told.

It was learnt that the three youths had gone to pick their relatives who earlier escaped to Bokkos town during an earlier invasion of their community when some gunmen attacked them at Lut village, killing them on the spot on Friday evening.

The Chairman of Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LG, Kefas Mallai, confirmed the death of the three youths to our correspondent in Jos on Saturday.

Bandits kill four, abducts 18 in FCT, Niger communities - Dec 29, 2023

Gunmen on Friday, December 29, invaded Azu, killing three people and kidnapping eight others.

A resident of Garam, who identified herself as Mrs Juliana, also informed that gunmen on Thursday, December 28, had earlier invaded Kuduru, which shares a boundary with Garam, and kidnapped 18 people.

2 policemen, 2 others killed as gunmen attack Chris Uba’s convoy in Anambra – Dec 29, 2023

Two policemen were among four people killed on Thursday night when gunmen attacked the convoy of the erstwhile Anambra State political godfather, Chief Chris Uba. The incident happened at Uga junction, which is Uba’s hometown.

The Anambra State Police command confirmed the killings but stated that two police officers were from the Enugu State command.

Kidnappers Attack Cross River Village Again, Abduct 1, Kill Baby Dec 28, 2023

Just three days after gunmen tragically killed Mr. Akpang Ayambem and abducted four others from Nde Three Corners village in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State on Christmas Day, another kidnapping and killing has shaken the community.

Early on Thursday, December 28, 2023, at around 7:00 am, assailants stormed the village, located roughly 200 kilometres from the state capital Calabar. They abducted an unnamed man and shot a baby, tragically ending its life.

The village chief, HRH Nton-aton Engineer Nton Bassey Nsan, confirmed the incident.

Bandits Kill Two Villagers; Abduct 7 Others In Kaduna – Dec 27, 2023

Bandits killed two villagers on Wednesday and abducted seven others in Fina village, under Gwada ward, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Three villagers with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital for treatment according to local sources. The community leader said the injured victims were receiving treatment, adding that the seven abducted persons include women and children.

Bauchi Police Kill 6 Suspected Kidnappers, Recover N4m Dec 26, 2023

Police officers in Bauchi State, collaborating with local hunter groups, have killed six suspected kidnappers who terrorized Bauchi communities in the Ningi Local Government Area.

LEADERSHIP learned that during the operation, the police also recovered N4,580,000 from the kidnappers’ hideout after a gunfight

Auwal Musa Mohammed, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, disclosed this during a press conference in Ningi on Wednesday.

Mob kills two over alleged murder in Ogun Dec 26, 2023

Two yet-to-be-identified persons were reportedly lynched by a mob for allegedly killing a 12-year-old boy, Ayomide Agunbiade, for ritual purposes in the Odo Alaro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State on Tuesday.

PUNCH Metro?learnt that Agunbiade had gone missing on Christmas Day (Monday) which was his birthday after someone identified to be his uncle had come to pick him up in the absence of his mother that he wanted to celebrate his birthday with him.

A village elder who pleaded anonymity and a senior police source close to the community confirmed the incident but declined to comment further for lack of authority to speak with the media.

Girlfriend shoots policeman to death in Imo Dec 26, 2023

A policeman attached to the Imo State Police Command, Cosmas Ugwu, has been shot dead by his girlfriend.

Ugwu was shot dead on Tuesday by his 23-year-old lover, who was identified as Amanda Uchechi Ugo, a native of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident exclusively to PUNCH Metro, saying the police were doing everything to ascertain what transpired.

Kaduna: Bandits kill 1, kidnap 12 others in community Dec 25, 2023

Bandits terrorising parts of Kaduna State on Christmas day allegedly stormed Afogo Gida of Afogo Ward in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna State killing one person and kidnapping 12 others.

Kidnappings in Kajuru local council have been ongoing for years with some locals killed in the process while others were taken away for ransom.

A credible source in the area who spoke in confidence said the marauding elements stormed the community around 12:01 a.m. on that fateful day and operated unchallenged for hours.

Gunmen Kill Two In Adamawa Community – Dec 25, 2023

The Adamawa State Police Command has confirmed the attack on Kwapre community in Hong Local Government Area of the state.

The attack, which occurred on Monday (Christmas day), was carried out by gunmen.

Speaking to newsmen, the District Head of Dugwaba, Mr. Simon Buba, confirmed that two persons were killed during the attack.

Gunmen attack Catholic Church, kill three worshippers – Dec 25, 2023

The Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Peter Nworie, has condemned the killing of three worshippers by gunmen during a Christmas vigil mass on Sunday midnight.

Mr. Nworie disclosed this at Monday’s Christmas service at Saint Theresa Cathedral Church, saying that the killing occurred at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Nkweagu, in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Gunmen kill 12, burn mother, two children in Sokoto attack – Dec 24, 2023

No fewer than 12 persons, including one woman with her two kids, were allegedly killed by suspected armed gunmen in Kurya village, Rabbah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

A resident of the community, Yusuf Kurya, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, confirmed the tragic incident.

Confirming the development, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police State Command, Ahmed Rufa’i, said seven people were reportedly killed.

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