Criminals have taken a police officer in Kwara State and seized two council members and two local leaders in Zamfara State, as violence escalates in the northern region.
In Zamfara, the traditional leaders who have been taken captive are the District Head of Gidan-Goga, Alhaji Sule Cili, and the Village Head of Taheta, Alhaji Abubakar.
The members of the council were recognized as Surajo Dangaladima, who stands for Gidan-Goga Ward, and Rabi’u Bashari, who represents Tsubiri Ward within the Maradun Local Government Area.
Residents claimed that traditional leaders were taken from their homes, while council members were captured in Gusau, the state capital, on Wednesday night.
A community member, Mallam Musa Sani, mentioned that the bandits are requesting a ransom of N20m for the release of the two rulers but have not yet specified their terms for freeing the council members.
"The bandits are asking for N20m as a ransom for the two traditional leaders, but they have not spoken about the two councilors," Sani stated.
The head of Maradun LGA, Sanusi Dosara, verified the event, explaining that the council members were taken in Gusau and not inside Maradun as previously thought.
The Zamfara State Police Command also verified the kidnappings.
The organization's representative, DSP Yazid Abubakar, stated that more staff had been sent to monitor the offenders and assist the victims.
"The command has sent additional staff to facilitate the release of the kidnapped individuals," Abubakar stated, encouraging locals to provide police with relevant details.
In another event in Kwara State, thieves kidnapped a police officer named Ezra John, who is affiliated with the Lade Division in the Patigi Local Government Area.
John was taken into custody in the early hours of Thursday as he was returning from his shift at the Patigi General Hospital.
His bike was eventually discovered left behind by the side of the Patigi–Lade Road, an area known for frequent robber attacks.
Verifying the kidnapping, the representative from the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, stated that specialized units have been sent to retrieve the officer.
"We have deployed tactical units to locate him. We are making every effort to guarantee his safe return and to bring those responsible to justice," she stated.
The event has intensified concerns among people in Patigi and nearby areas, who have consistently demanded increased security measures.
In the meantime, the Nigerian Air Force has eliminated a well-known abductor leader named Maidawa and multiple members of his group through continuous air strikes in the areas of Isanlu-Isin forests in Kwara and neighboring regions of Kogi State.
The attack came after last Sunday's raid by bandits on Oke-Ode in Ifelodun LGA, where at least 11 forest rangers and community members were killed, and multiple residents were taken hostage.
The Senior Special Assistant on Communication to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Ibraheem Abdullateef, stated that intelligence reports verified Maidawa's death.
"Messages intercepted from the attacking kidnappers indicated that a well-known kidnapper named Maidawa and several of his followers were killed in a clash with combined security forces near Isanlu-Isin in Kwara State," Abdullateef stated on his X account.
He mentioned that the incident, which took place on September 30, was part of increased collaborative efforts between the Air Force, Army, Police, and DSS.
The operation is focusing on hotspots in Ekiti, Ifelodun, Isin, Edu, and Patigi LGAs.
The operation took place only a few days following the Oke-Ode massacre, which led to demonstrations in Ajase-Ipo, with locals blocking the Ilorin–Abuja expressway to call for government intervention.
Governor AbdulRazaq, following an urgent security committee session on Tuesday evening, promised that lawbreakers would find no refuge within the state.
"The security forces, backed by the government, are committed to eliminating these criminals. Kwara will not serve as a refuge for outlaws," he stated.
At the time of publication, the number of casualties resulting from the air strikes could not be confirmed independently, but officials stated that the operation would persist until every criminal refuge was eliminated.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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