Kaduna Attacks Latest: 3 Police Officers Killed, Millions Stolen From Banks In Birnin Gwari

First Bank in Birnin Gwari after the attack
By SaharaReporters, New York

SaharaReporters has learnt that Governor Muktar Yero of Kaduna State has rushed this morning to Birnin Gwari town, the scene of yesterday’s brazen, five-hour operation by a group of armed bandits.

SaharaReporters broke the news of the dare-devil attacks in Birnin Gwari town in Kaduna State. Our correspondent has since discovered that   attackers killed three police officers, wounded several more, and made away with millions of naira from the vaults of two banks.

“The governor is still in town now,” a security source told SaharaReporters, adding that a huge contingent of the police were also present in every part of the town.

Another source disclosed that the additional police contingent was not able to enter the town until the early hours of today. “The armed bandits operated for four, even five hours without any serious police challenge,” said the source.

News of the attacks was first received from students living in the town of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State's Birnin Gwari local government area. The informants told SaharaReporters that heavily armed bandits had overrun the police station in the area and burnt it down after engaging the police in gun battle. “The police were so overwhelmed that they took to their heels,” one source had told our correspondent.

The attackers completely razed the police station in the attack that started at midnight, according to the source.

ECO Bank, Unity Bank, and First Bank branches in the town as well as other public buildings were also attacked and bombed along with the police station, according to one elderly witness. The man told Saharareporters that the heavily armed men arrived in unmarked vehicles and set the police station on fire after a two-hour long gun battle. The source said the attackers appeared to use explosives in breaking into the banks.

One of our sources, who claimed to have witnessed the attacks, said the bandits planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that exploded simultaneously amid gun shots.

The source said the bandits were part of a group of armed robbers believed to be hiding out in a nearby forest. He disclosed that, prior to yesterday’s attacks, the bandits had launched assaults in several villages and districts including Kuyelo and Randagi on Friday and Tuesday respectively.

The source also stated that the unidentified gunmen had sealed off the whole township last night before launching their attacks. A security source told SaharaReporters that the Divisional Police Office (DPO) was  out of the area at the time of the attacks last night. SaharaReporters also learnt that soldiers who are part of “Operation Zaki” refused to move into the area at night to combat the attackers. The commanders of the soldiers were reportedly afraid of being ambushed at night by the armed bandits.

“We are trapped, and we’re under fear,” one of our sources told SaharaReporters last night. He added, “We need military support too. If not, there is no certainty on our lives. As I speak, they are still firing.”

Last night’s attacks were not the first in the town’s recent history. In October, 2012, armed bandits invaded the town and killed some 20 worshippers leaving a mosque.

SaharaReporters tried last night to speak with official spokesmen of the army and police, without success. However, a district head said the Kaduna State police commissioner had promised to intervene as soon as possible.

Just last week, the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Mai Jubril Zubair, had visited the new governor of Kaduna State. The emir, who was accompanied by several politicians, top civil servants and district heads in the area, had asked the governor for increased security in the area. The traditional ruler complained that armed bandits in the area had stolen up to 10,000 cows and murdered several people. The governor had promised to set up a committee to find the stolen cows and to deal with the bandits.

A source told SaharaReporters he suspected last night’s attacks were a kind of reprisal for the emir's visit to the governor and a way to serve notice to the governor that he can do little to stop the bandits operating in the area. However, a security source told our correspondent this morning that he did not think the attacks were related at all to the emir’s visit to the governor or the governor’s threat to deal with the bandits.

Comments
14 comment(s)
Post a comment

re:

We need to understand that preserving the unity that God has created at a great cost is for the purpose of carrying out God's purposes for the church, which involve MINISTRY, maturity, and missions. See the link below for more info.

MINISTRY @
www.guyfix.com

idiot

Any time you want to comment on issues you have to use your brain before you write anything. Mentioning prophet Muhmd (peace be on him) and abusing him in your comments mean that you dont know what you are saying and pray that may God forgive you for that. If you have issues with IBB dnt relate it with islamic teachings. So please always think and use your brain before you comment next time.

Why Boko Haram called for cease fire

The truth oF the matter is that the Boko Haram sect has called for cease fire because it is cashtrapped, not that they want peace from a government led by an infidel because he is not a muslim. The sect is buying time to re-equip by resorting to breaking banks, stealings and getting fresh life line of fund from their backers within and outside the country.Jonathan should move fast to block all sources of funding to the sect now using both internal aand international security network.

ur wrong

U must β an Ibo man looking for where nigeria will divide bt let me educate u better. Our problem is greed, corruption n leadership,poverty. If. U like divide nigeria to an extend it become a single family, once d character is not change same problem will prevail. USA is bigger n more populated than Nigeria, yet they are more stable. Somalia, bangladish are smaller nation n. Still are more corrupt than Nigeeria. Pray that God should intervene in our nation. Break nigeria today as u wish, u will run from ur biafra bcos rebel will emerge killing will β everywhere. Today news show father being kidnap by his two children in Anambra. Senate. President went round dd five states of Iboland yet u pray for nigeria to break. U can't go to d east n Niger Delta bcos of fear of kidnapper yet u pray for seperation. Nigeria seperate today u will still run to other country. Please pray for God to come to d aid of our nation.

Muslim Boko Haram Ran Out Of Cash. Now Robing Banks.............

Muslims Boko Haram Garrison are out of cash. They now turning their angers to financial institutions to meet with their payrolls. The anger was visited on the Emir of Kano, Emir Ado Bayero who refused to extend to the line of credit. The sons of the prophet muhammad are not happy the way the Usman Dan Fodiyo's people are treating as if they were not muslims. The cease fire called for will not hold due to the hard headed of the muslim elites in the core north. IBB is not happy the way the Emirs reneged on their promises to extend line of credits to these sons of prophet muhammad. IBB does not feel comfortable any more due to the incidents going on in the North. He is afraid that he is going to be next on the line. IBB wants to enjoy his loot on planet earth than to die with the false promises of 72 virgins as promised by prophet muhammad.

What a shame to Nigerian

What a shame to Nigerian leaders who are bussy looting Nigeria money, but failed to protect its citizens

yet tinubu ati bakare want

yet tinubu ati bakare want buhari to be president in spite of late tai solarin and pa ajasins travails while in his custody

a new militia is looking for resource

i think this new group are looking for cash to buy weapon. very soon, we will know whether they are in support of governor yero or against him.

There can never ever be

There can never ever be peace in the northern states any more. The worst is still on the way. Seperation is the only option. Lets go on our different ways and have peace of mind.

Hobbesian State

The happiest people in the world indeed. Everyone is watching waiting for God to come and save the country as the Nigerian society goes back to the state of Nature.

BANK ROBBING MEANS THE KILLERS NEED CASH

By now one would expect that banks should arrange a means of strapping the smaller branches off cash and depositing large sums with the bigger and well secured branches.The insurgents always strike at small branches of course with inside information from sympathisers,if not how do they know when these branches have huge cash deposits.
More successful robberies means more money to fund the insurgence,the protection of banks must now be brought to the front burner by the security agencies else all the effort put in to stop the killers will be in vain.

I am still asking: what is

I am still asking: what is the Emir of Gandu doing about the spate of bank robberies in the North? Let nobody brush the Northern bank robberies, kidnappings, wanton destruction under the rug of Boko Haram. Boko Haram is a special Northern force unleashed by Buhari and his henchmen to terrorize Nigeria and make the place ungovernable for Jonathan.

Mon£Y Is Worshipped In NaiJa....

What won't people do 4money in dis country; waste 'a few' lives like in d story above..Prostitute themselves( no diff anymore btwn Commercial sex workers nd regular women like sum Bankers etc etc) Kidnapping 80yr olds, Bombing in d north 4 religious/political/economic reasons, Deceit in d house of God by 'Men of God' 2fleece their congregation, embezzling pensioners money nd sending em 2 an early grave,Lawmakers repeatedly nabbed collecting bribes, Govermmnt officials paying 'subsidy' claims wothOut verification, mechanics & Drivers colluding to rip u off..etc..etc.
Money is god in Nigeria...

Just yesterday (30/1/2013)

Just yesterday (30/1/2013) the Emir of Birnin Gwari led a delegation to the State Governor to complain about the state of security in his domain.

Post a comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Comments are limited to a maximum of 1000 characters.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <p> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.