Army operations in gang camps under way – Authorities have asked mobile phone companies to shut down their networks to prevent gangs from being informed of army movements
Gunmen have abducted more than 40 people in northwestern Nigeria , not far from the army’s air and ground operations zone against gang members who are systematically abducted for ransom, police in two states said.
Northwestern Nigeria has been the scene of increasingly frequent attacks by heavily armed gangs, which authorities generally call bandits – “thugs” or “gangsters” – which have escalated kidnappings of ransom, especially students and students, since late last year. .
On Monday night, gunmen attacked the Keke community in Tsikun district of Kantuna state and abducted 17 people, five of whom were later rescued by security forces, Kantuna police spokesman Mohamed Jalige said .
“Twelve hostages remain in captivity, our groups are combing the area with a mission to rescue them,” he added.
Gunmen also attacked the village of Dange Suni in Sokoto state on Tuesday night, abducting 28 people , eight of whom were later released, Sokoto police spokesman Sanousi Abubakaro told AFP.
The perpetrators also seized animals and food, according to a source close to the state government who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
This village is located near the border with the state of Zamfara, where large-scale air and ground operations against gangs are underway .
“We believe that (the kidnappers) came from Zamfara, as military operations are taking place over there,” Abubakar said, referring to the attack in the village of Dange Suni.
On Friday, the Nigerian telecommunications regulator asked mobile phone companies to shut down their networks in Zamfara state at the request of local authorities, as they would inform gangs about army movements or coordinate by telephone.
On Saturday, militant raids began against gang camps in the state. Operations continued on Monday in criminal camps in the Sububu forest in the Sinkafi area.
It is impossible to contact the authorities in Zamfaraafter the shutdown of the telecommunications network. Authorities have provided little information about the companies so far. Army representatives in the federal capital Abuja did not respond to repeated requests to report on operations in Zamfara.
Northwestern Nigeria has been plagued for years by clashes between farmers and nomadic ranchers over access to water and pastures. But the violence escalated with the emergence of gangs of thugs, who often have hundreds of members and, in addition to kidnappings for ransom, also commit looting and animal theft.
Since December, kidnappings of pupils and students have multiplied in northwestern and central Nigeria. Some 1,000 children have been abducted, most of them released after negotiations and ransom payments, although authorities have formally opposed any payment so as not to encourage criminals.
Kidnappings have become so common in northwestern Nigeria that they now rarely make headlines in the domestic and international media. Just last week, at least 73 children were abducted from a secondary school in the village of Kaya .
The crisis is affecting every aspect of life in the region. Many children have stopped going to school, food supply is becoming increasingly difficult as farmers are unable to go to their fields, families are falling apart as many citizens are afraid to travel by road.
