BARELY 48 hours after multiple blasts rocked Sabo Gari area of Kano metropolis, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Jama’a Nasir Islam (JNI) Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has warned that the plan of the insurgents is to throw the North and the entire country into a bloody crisis which Nigerians must resist.
Also, indications Tuesday emerged that the death toll in the Monday blasts may have risen to 45.
However, the spokesperson for the military Joint Task Force in Kano, Captain Ikedichi Iweh, told journalists that only 12 persons were killed.
Meanwhile, while condemning attacks, the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, otherwise known as Amnesty Committee, has however, assured that the latest violence would not affect its efforts
Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso yesterday described the blasts as an attack on Nigeria.
Following the attack and killing of 22 members of the Borno Vigilance Youths Group (BVYG) in Dawashi and Mainok in Borno State by the Islamist Boko Haram last Saturday, the military yesterday said it would send more troops and equipment to the state .
Similarly, the Federal Government has extended by two months the tenure of the Amnesty Committee to enable it do a thorough job.
Also, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere and the Arewa elders have condemned the Kano blasts and called on the Federal Government to tackle the rising violence in the country.
In the same vein, the BVYG has foiled an assassination plot of an Islamic cleric (name withheld) by a suspected Boko Haram member at the Bulunkutu Central Mosque, as the group seized his rifle and killed him at about 1.15p.m. on Monday.
Also, the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha has cautioned members of the Senate Committee on Defence, Police, Army and National Security on the immediate restoration of Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) in the state, as he said there are still “pockets of Boko Haram insurgency” in some parts of the state.
The Sultan made the call in a statement issued by the JNI General Secretary, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, yesterday in Kaduna.
He said: “JNI is perplexed that this act of unleashing terror on human lives continued unabated, despite visible number of uncountable security check-points mounted all through Northern Nigeria.
“More worrisome is the fact that this beastly act of terror comes just 24 hours after unleashing same on fishermen and traders in Kaka and Kukawa local council areas of Borno State, which also claimed many innocent lives and lost of property worth millions of naira.
“The Sultan of Sokoto received with bewilderment the news of the orchestrated multiple bomb blasts which were reported to have occurred yesterday night, (Monday) at Sabon Gari, Kano resulting in collateral damages and many lives lost.
“We strongly condemn the inhuman and ungodly act in totality as reprehensible, and we equally call for calm and restraint. As it has always been our prayers, whatever may be the intent or motive of the perpetrators of these contemptible acts, they will never succeed.
“These repeated acts call for concerted introspection, as they again point to the fact that there is urgent need for proactive and effective ways of addressing these precarious security upheavals presently being witnessed in the country” .
Sources at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and the state-owned Murtala Muhammed General Hospital told The Guardian that they counted about 45 bodies of victims deposited there.
Kwankwaso who spoke during a visit to the scenes of the blasts disclosed that all the victims would be taken care of by the state government.
Afenifere in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said: “It appears to us that the government was being lured into some false sense of security so the sect could re-strategise for more devastating attacks.
“It would be recalled that all manners of leaders and ‘statesmen’ were piling pressures on the government to enter into dialogue with the terrorists before the state of emergency was declared in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states weeks ago.
“The military action that followed the bold move by the government led to a bomb holiday in the North East, which has been the headquarters of insurgency.
“Thereafter, the coordinated assault opened an added axis of evil in the North West to continue the low-intensity warfare, assault and killings.”
Afenifere, however, noted that it was in the midst of all that Turaki announced that he had secured ceasefire with Boko Haram. He was later to be disowned by Boko Haram and the latest dangerous assaults being launched by the group clearly suggests, according to Afenifere, “that Turaki may be working for a fifth column.”
Afenifere, therefore, urged the Federal Government to disband the Turaki-led committee as it has, purportedly, outlived its usefulness.
The Afenifere also urged a probe of the chairman of the panel to ascertain where his hoax ceasefire came from.
Arewa elders said yesterday that those responsible have proved that they were not true Muslims by engaging in killings and maiming innocent people in the holy month of Ramadan.
In a statement, the Arewa Consultative Forum’s (ACF) National Publicity Secretary , Mr. Anthony Sani said “the ACF is shocked and sad over the reports of four explosions which killed and wounded many people yesterday (Monday) in Kano”, stressing “ these kinds of killing of innocent people have no place in all religions and in decent societies” .
Noting that the unfortunate incident in Kano “amounts to desecration of the month of Ramadan”, the Arewa elders remarked that those responsible “ should, therefore, be condemned by all those who cherish core values of humanity, like freedom, justice and common decency”.
Speaking with State House correspondents yesterday after collecting his extension letter, Turaki said: “I heard the information of the sad event that took place in Kano. It’s really unfortunate that at this time when serious efforts are being made by government through many fronts to make sure that these issues are sorted out, then some people who do not wish this country well are trying to pull the hand of the clock backwards, I think it’s unfortunate.
“But let me say on behalf of the committee on dialogue that we are undeterred. We will proceed with the discussions and by the special grace of God and by the prayers of all peace-loving Nigerians we will be able to conquer incidents like these.”
Reacting to calls for the disbandment of the amnesty committee, the minister appealed to Nigerians for more patience, saying that the process was not something that could achieve the desired results over night because it had lots of competing interests.
“We will call on Nigerians to continue to be patient. In this kind of situation, there are a lot of segments to it. There are people who are engaged in it on the basis of ideology or dogma. Some people are doing it on the basis of economic benefits. Some people are fifth columnists who whatever you do will make sure you don’t succeed.
The committee which was inaugurated in April by President Goodluck Jonathan was given three months within which to ensure that there is total peace and complete disarming of the Boko Haram insurgents.”
Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen Chris Olukolade said in Abuja yesterday that the special forces being deployed have been directed to ensure that the perpetrators of the recent incidents are tracked down.
Already, he said, the manhunt for the perpetrators of the mayhem “is in progress accordingly.”
“The Special Forces have been directed to ensure that the perpetrators of the recent incidents are tracked down and the manhunt for them is in progress, accordingly. Meanwhile more troops and equipment are being deployed into the operation to ensure better coverage and protection of communities in the operational area,” he added.
The slain suspect, according to Isa Ibrahim, one of the youths who participated in the operation, walked into the mosque in a white flowing gown with AK 47 rifle, before he was arrested and killed.
The deputy governor gave the caution yesterday when the Senate committee members, led by George Sekibo were at the Government House, Maiduguri to assess the state of security in the state.
His words: “We as government and the people of Borno State want to use this opportunity to thank members of the Senate committee on Defence, Army, Police and National Security, Joint Task Force (JTF) and the vigilance youths in the fight against terrorism. All your efforts are highly commendable as we tremendously witness improved security of life and property in this state.
“Besides, the dusk to dawn curfew has been relaxed by three hours to enable Muslims perform their Ramadan fast.”
Mustapha however noted: “If the restoration of GSM networks will affect the relative peace we are now enjoying, it is better to live without telephones services; and be going to either Adamawa or Yobe states to make calls in case of emergencies.”
Source: Guardian
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