Bandits attack traders in Benue market, kill one, injure 13

Parents of the 39 abducted students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Mando Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, yesterday, appealed to the state governor, Nasir el-Rufai, to negotiate with the bandits and secure the release of their wards.

The governor had always insisted that his government would not negotiate with bandits, insisting that they needed to be completely routed by security agents. The plea of parents of the kidnapped students came as bandits, suspected to be gang members of the late Terwase Agwaza, alias Gana, on Wednesday evening opened fire on traders at Abaji in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, killing one and injuring 13 others.

Two of the bandits were, however, killed by troops of the joint military operation, code-named Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, who were said to have responded to distress calls promptly. In a similar manner, bandits in the early hours of yesterday, killed nine persons in separate attacks in Birnin Gwari and Giwa local government areas of Kaduna State.

This is even as some Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, yesterday, opposed alleged payment of ransom by governments to bandits and kidnappers to free victims. Vanguard