As the insecurity occasioned by rural banditry bites harder, some residents of frontline local governments in Katsina State have either abandoned their farms or resorted to forceful payment of taxes to bandits. According to Katsina State Government, some 5,884 farmlands were abandoned due to the attacks. From January to June 2021 alone, according to the government, 23,333 hectares of 2,924 farmlands have been abandoned. In Danmusa Local Government, farmers mostly in Gurzar-Kuka, Mara, Dunya and other villages close to forests are either paying taxes to bandits to access their farms or forced to work on the farms of the criminals.…

After destroying several electricity masts thereby cutting off Maiduguri metropolis from enjoying electricity for about nine months, four other electricity masts supplying power along Damaturu-Maiduguri Road in Borno State were blown off again by suspected members of Boko Haram/ISWAP Friday night. This latest setback came barely one month after NNPC commenced building of gas plant to provide electricity to the troubled state in the Northeast sub-region. The electricity towers were destroyed at Garin Kuturu village, two kilometres from Auno, an area constantly being terrorised by the insurgents. According to reports, the attack on the facilities started around 7 pm and…

Three policemen on duty in Onitsha, Anambra State, were on Sunday killed by gunmen. The incident, it was gathered, happened around 9 am on the Ukaegbu/Ezeiweka road in Onitsha. Two other cops were injured during the shooting incident at a security post mounted by the police operatives. The operation vehicle of the cops was also set ablaze. A bystander said the gunmen may have been angered by the alleged extortion by the operatives at the security post. The source said, “Any time they stationed there, residents felt relieved because the place is a dangerous area. But the way they extorted…

Two worshippers were abducted while one was killed on Sunday when gunmen attacked ECWA church in Kabba, Kogi state. Kayode Akanbi, one of the worshippers, said the service had just started when the gunmen burst into the church around 10:15am. Akanbi said that the six invaders were armed with guns and cutlasses and were not masked. “We were trying to commence the normal service,” he said. “We just started the call to worship and I was interpreting the pastor’s message when suddenly the gunmen entered from the main entrance and raised their guns. “They shot sporadically and everybody started scampering…