Kano Govt Assures Residents After Bandits Attack

The Kano State Government has assured the people of the state to the effect that the state is not under imminent security threat, contrary to some reports in the media.

The Governor Abba Yusuf-led government had on Sunday held the State Security Council Meeting, where all the top security brass were present, to assess the security situation in the state, according to the state government, saying it was concluded at the meeting that the state is not under immediate security threat.

According to  a statement issued on Monday by Director-General, Media and Publicity, Sunusi Dawakin-Tofa , the state government urged the residents to go about their duties, as there are no indications of threat to public peace, and that security agencies have been directed to neutralize any dangers posed by criminals elements.

“There is no valid or actionable information pointing to any significant security risk in Kano,” the statement said, stressing that the circulating claims were false, sensational and deliberately crafted to cause panic,” the statement said.

The state government’s assurance comes on the heels of last weekend’s bandits attack on  Yankamaye village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State, killing an elderly woman and abducting three residents.

The incident had thrown the community into panic as many residents were asleep when the armed men stormed the area.

Confirming the attack, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said security agencies were already on the trail of the bandits who are currently on the run.

“We are doing everything possible to rescue the kidnapped victims and restore calm to the area,” Kiyawa said.

According to the details supplied by eyewitnesses, the gunmen reportedly arrived on motorcycles, parking at the outskirts of the village before proceeding on foot to avoid early detection.

The attackers, it was learnt  also raided another house, abducting two women, including the sister-in-law of the ward councillor.

The state, however, experienced panic on Sunday  after the bandits  threatened to kill the 10 residents they kidnapped if their family failed to pay ransom.

Father of one of the victims told a local radio in Kano, yesterday, that the bandits were using him as a channel to reach other families, asking them to pay certain huge amount as ransom.

“They on daily basis call me thrice or even four times warning me to abide by their requests or they would kill our family members.

“I told them that the money they are asking for, we have never seen that kind of money, and what we only have is our farmlands with small animals,” he said.

He appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to come to their rescue as any time from now they might lose their loved ones.

“We asked you our Governor, in the name of God, please help us, they are killing our sons,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, security operatives were said to be combing nearby forests in a bid to rescue the victims and apprehend the assailants.

Until recently, Kano state has managed to escape bandit attacks, while other neighbouring states were not so lucky.

But security experts insist that the crack among top political players in the state, for its soul may have opened the door for the bandits, who, from all indications are bent on making the state a nightmare for residents.