Friday, November 9, 2012

Two Chinese construction engineers killed in Borno


Two Chinese construction workers have been killed by unknown gunmen in Benisheikh town, Borno State.

Some residents of Benisheikh who spoke to an international media organisation, the BBC, informed that the attackers also stole the men's vehicle.

Four Chinese men have now been killed over the last month in Borno State, which has been beset by insecurity because of an Islamist insurgency.

Last month, China lodged a diplomatic protest with the Federal government, and asked the authorities to ensure the safety of its nationals.

Chinese workers are involved in many construction works across the north - most of them funded by the Chinese government.

Benisheikh residents told the BBC's Hausa service that the attack on the Chinese workers happened on Wednesday mands.

He said the security agencies are the number one killers in terms of number, adding “I am surprised the other day when the Chief of Army Staff, General Ihejierika said Boko Haram killed 3,000.

"The security agencies have killed a lot more than 3,000 when this thing started. On the first day that this crisis erupted in Maiduguri, over five thousand people were killed.”

President of the Senate, Senator David Mark after directing the Police Affairs Committee to look into Senator Abba Ibrahim's allegations, said the Senate will do everything possible to ensure that the high level of insecurity in the country is reduced to its barest minimum.

Noting that the security agencies often find themselves in a difficult situation when people refused to give information about the assailants, Mark said, “It is not for me to defend or speak for the Armed Forces, but the Armed Forces find themselves in a very difficult situation when they have to do internal operations or street to street fight.

"What I would suggest is that areas where we have these types of problem people must give as much information out as possible and as quickly as possible because once you kill a member of the Armed Forces, the natural reaction is for them to do what perhaps is happening now.

"It is very difficult to see a Commanding Officer seeing two or three of his people killed and then he begins to search around looking for the fellow who committed the atrocity. It is explainable.

"For the police, I think as much information as you can give to them but there are serious allegations that have been raised here and I hope that the Committee on Police Affairs and Intelligence and National Security, Defence and the Army that will take up some of these.

"But I know that Senators have complained to me here about the action of members of the security agents and I have either called the Chief of Defence Staff or the Chief of Army Staff to listen to their own side of the story too. The fact of the matter is that it is neither here nor there. When there is insecurity so many things can go wrong and that is why we must make every effort to bring the situation to normalcy”.

But Senator Buka Ibrahim said Boko Haram started just like any other religious sect and it is not a new phenomenon as people are being made to believe.

“But it is the activities of particularly the police who pushed the Boko Haram people to the wall by killing their leaders, killing thousands of other innocent people. That is what forced them to come out against the Nigeria state.

"It is the attitude of the security agencies; the way they operate that really makes it worse, not any better. Of course naturally, common criminals will take advantage of the situation to extort money from people and then the armed robbers are the third killers, and this is happening in Zamfara”, he said.

The lawmaker and a member of the sect negotiation team, Buka Abba Ibrahim said he was fully in support of the motion because it is relevant to what is happening in other parts of the north and not just Zamfara state.

“I think the NSA, the Inspector General of police, the Chief of Army Staff and other leaders should really take a close look and probably investigate the activities of security agencies. They are killing people, many people, day in day out.

"If one army officer is killed in an area, they will come and condoned off the whole place, kill whoever they can get hold of and then burn all the properties in that area. What has properties got to do with people killing security agents on the road?

"If a security agent was killed on patrol, they will come and burn the whole area. I am very glad that the Chairman of the Senate committee on National Security and Intelligence will soon call a meeting, in that area; you will really hear a lot. I wish that I will be in a position to accompany them so that we will go round together”. he said.   

The sponsor of the motion, Senator Kabiru Marafa described what is happening in Zamfara as barbaric and urged the Senate to call on the Federal government to work on Anka-Dangulbi-Dansadau-Birnin Gwari and Dayi-Tsafe-Dangulbi federal roads, as a means of opening up the area and linking it with neighbouring communities.

He also called on National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to speed up intervention by providing relief materials to persons affected by the recent flood disasters.
Aliyu condemns gunmen attack on Kawonise
GOVERNOR of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has expressed shock and disbelief at the sheer horror of the incident around Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State on Monday night, in which unknown gunmen attacked and shot the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian Compass newspaper, Mr Sina Kawonise and his police orderly.

Reacting in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo, Governor Aliyu commiserated with the management and staff of Nigerian Compass and families of the victims, saying the only way to ensure they did not suffer in vain is for the police to bring the perpetrators to book and prevent a recurrence.

Governor Aliyu called on security agencies to act urgently to ensure the security of lives and property, saying a situation where heartless armed robbers put hapless motorists on harm's way at will was no longer acceptable.

''This is just one in a series of armed attacks against ordinary Nigerians across the country. And we cannot sit back and allow armed gangs to take over our roads and towns, as if we are living in a failed state,'' the statement said.

The statement commended medical personnel at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for promptly attending to Mr Kawonise and his orderly, saying such quick response to professional call could be a soothing balm at times like this.

It should be recalled that Kawonise was returning to Ibadan from Awka, Anambra State where he had gone to deliver a keynote address at the 17th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Anthropological and Sociological Association which held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka when he was way-laid by armed men around Ikeji Arakeji.
The Compass

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