> Yar’Adua assures on security

Over 140 persons lost their lives in Borno and Kano states as the clash between members of a religious sect, the Taliban, and the security agencies, spread to other states of the north.

The violent crisis first erupted in Bauchi on Sunday, claiming over 70 members of the sect calling itself "Boko Haram" (western education is sinful).

Over 100 Taliban members were shot dead by the police in Maiduguri yesterday and another 40 in Kano.

An unspecified number of persons also died in Pokistum, Yobe State, as members of the sect rose in a bid to avenge the killing of their colleagues the previous day in Bauchi.

To stem the tide, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has ordered national security agencies to take all necessary action to contain and repel the attacks by extremists on police posts and public buildings in some states of the federation.

Aside the over 100 sect members killed in Maiduguri, 12 houses were burnt during an attack they launched on the Borno State police command headquarters.

The sect members, who engaged the police in a fierce battle which lasted for over five hours, left tales of woes and agony among the people living in the barracks attached to the police headquarters.

Our correspondent, who was at the police headquarters, saw corpses of the sect members littered in the premises, with some wearing military uniforms and bags containing some food items such as dates and water, believed to be the only food they survived on.

Inside the headquarters, houses were seen burning, while women and children sat in groups, discussing in low tones. Heavily armed mobile policemen and soldiers were seen patrolling the headquarters.

The sect members, who were armed with guns, sticks, bows and arrows, as well as explosives, also attacked the Maiduguri new prisons, killed one officer on duty and set all inmates free. The operation was believed to be led by the sect leader himself, Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf.

Some major streets in Maiduguri were littered with the corpses of the sect members believed to be killed by the joint patrol team patrolling major highways within the metropolis, while the streets were deserted and shops closed. Schools, banks and offices also remained closed.

Our investigation revealed that apart from their enclave near the railway quarters, which is called Markas, meaning "headquarters" in Arabic, they also occupied part of state low-cost houses and environs in Abaganaram area of the metropolis, wielding dangerous weapons and chanting "Allahu akbar".

A few days ago, members of the sect were arrested in Biu with dangerous chemicals used in the manufacturing of local bombs and detained at the police headquarters for interrogation, while a sect member was killed two days ago while testing a locally manufactured bomb. The latest attack in Bauchi, was said to be spearheaded by Yusuf’s assistant, Shekau.

The attack by the sect members spread like wild fire in the North-east, affecting towns like Potiskum, Gashua, Gaidam and Gamboru Ngala.

On the Yobe front, while urging LEADERSHIP to speak to the security agencies to get details of casualties, Abdullahi Bego, Director of Press, to the Yobe State governor, stated, "There is calm in Yobe. The only crisis occurred in Potiskum. But now calm has been restored.

"The governor has imposed movement restrictions (not curfew) from 10pm to 6am and has assured Yobe citizens that the government and security agencies will do everything to protect peoples lives and property.

"The government has also called on people to report any suspicious movements to the authorities."

Meanwhile, a reporter for Daily Trust newpaper, Malam Ahmed Salkida, was reportedly abducted by members of the sect while covering the crisis around Galadima Junction in Maiduguri. The Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Alhaji Abdulkareem Haruna, was making frantic efforts to see that no journalist was harmed in course of discharging his duty.

The state governor, Senator Ali Modu Sherriff, had imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Maiduguri till further notice.

In Kano State, Wudil town was put under police watch yesterday. Combat-ready mobile policemen mounted stop-and-search road blocks on all roads that led to the area. Motorists coming from Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi and other states along that axis had to turn back.

Barrister Gambo Ali Ahmed, a resident of Dangoli in Gaya Local Government, a border town, told LEADERSHIP on phone that he was unable to cross Wudil town on his way to Kano yesterday, as their vehicle had to make a u-turn due to the commotion.

An eye witness and resident of Kofar Fada, in the heart of Wudil town, Malam Ali Bilya, told our reporter that the leader of the radical sect, Malam Yusuf Aljasawi, migrated to the area not long ago and resided in a rented apartment until he was recently evicted by the landlord on the orders of some authorities in the town. Aljasawi, however, shifted his base to the motor station of the town.

Bilya explained that the group are members of an evolving fundamentalist movement in some northern states called Yusufiyya led by Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf of Maiduguri. They are mainly anti-establishment and hold strict religious views against modernism.

Their leader, Abdulmumuni Ibrahim Muhammed, who is from Nasarawa State, said they were followers of the Maiduguri-based scholar, Sheikh Yusuf, and they believed only in the Qur'an and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), adding that they opposed western education and anything related to it.

According to him, they were arrested by the police while on their way to Wudil town, and they were not out to fight.

He explained that they were living in Panshekara town of Kumbotso Local Government Area, where they taught the Islamic religion and propagated against evil doers.

He said the ensuing battle with the police had led to the death of over 40 members of the sect.

According to him, "Those that died are well over forty because the police trailed even those that ran to the nearest bush and in the event many people were shot dead, while some sustained various degrees of injury, including fracture," he said.

As at last night, reports reaching LEADERSHIP said a security meeting was held in the palace of the District Head of Wudil and Makaman Kano, Alhaji Sarki Ibrahim. In attendance were the local government chairman and his secretary, as well as other security personnel and community leaders.

Mobile policemen were seen going round the area to ensure the return of normalcy as search for more members of the sect continued.

In Kano, security was beefed up to avoid a breakdown of law and order as the first lady, Hajiya Turai Yar'Adua, visited the state to condole with the family of Dantata over the death of Aminu Dantata's younger brother.

In Bauchi State, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of police Zone 12, Mr. Moses Anegbode, said that the 176 suspected religious fanatics arrested in connection with the Bauchi mayhem would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.

Addressing journalists in Bauchi at a press conference, Anegbode stated that the police were already working with the state's Ministry of Justice to expedite investigation and subsequent prosecution of the suspects in a competent court of law, adding that some of the suspects whose level of culpability had been determined would be charged to court immediately.

Anegbode said that so far, 41 persons had lost their lives during a shoot-out between the police and the group, saying that 39 out of the 41 were members of the sect while a policeman and a soldier were also killed.

According to the AIG, the police had recovered one AK 47 rifle, dozens of locally made guns, 270 live ammunition, 20 cartridges, 200 detonators, 1,000 explosive canisters, seven bags of potassium niterate and two bags of lethal gun powder for the manufacturing of explosives.

He also confirmed the recovery of some motorcycles, military uniforms, communication gadgets, electric generators, sewing machines and assorted household items from the hideout of the suspected fanatics, saying that preliminary investigation showed that members of the sect known as "Boko-Haram", meaning "no to western education", were involved in acts of rape, kidnapping and other anti-Islamic vices.

"Their activities have nothing to do with any religion. Members of the sect are known for their anti- establishment stand.

"People coming together, giving themselves a religious name and wearing that toga is not acceptable. Simply put, they are criminals and remain criminals,'' Anegbode said.

Commenting on another attack on a police station in Potiskum, Yobe State, by the same group, the AIG said the police had adopted effective security to contain the situation.

"The attack is a suicide bombing, where some suspected sect members on motor bike, armed with explosives, run into the police premises and detonated the explosives concealed in their bodies," he said.

He announced that the police had mounted check points in strategic locations across the states in the zone in order to thwart any attempt to breach the peace.

The AIG urged people in Bauchi, Yobe and Borno states to cooperate with the police in order to protect lives and properties of innocent citizens.

Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed in Bauchi starting from 2100hrs till dawn to avoid any unpleasant situation.

In Jos, the Plateau State capital, military check points have been resurrected in order to ward off any attack that may lead to break down of law and order.

At the peak of the civil unrest in Jos last November 28, a dusk to dawn curfew was imposed, with security check points mounted at strategic locations in the state.

However, the few check points that are existing shortly after the relaxing of curfew from 6 am to 11pm have been reinforced, while security personnel were seen patrolling the capital in armoured cars.

At the entry points to Jos, Marabar Jama’a, UTC junction, Zaria and Bauchi roads, there was heavy security presence, unlike before the Bauchi unrest where there were one or two mobile policemen on guard at some check points.

LEADERSHIP

observed that these check points, were manned by stern looking military personnel, controlling traffic and conducting stop-and-search exercise.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP in Jos on the state of preparedness on the part of the police, the public relations officer, Plateau State Police Command, ASP Mohammed Larema, said the police had mounted check points at the entry points to the state capital to monitor what was coming and going out of the state.

According to him, the police were heavily on ground to protect lives and property should there be any breakdown of law and order in the state, while urging members of the public to go about their lawful duties without fear.

As at the time of filing this report, people were seen going about their normal businesses as market, shops, and schools were open for normal activities.

After being briefed yesterday by the heads of the security agencies on the violent attacks in parts of Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Yobe states, President Yar'Adua directed that no effort should be spared in identifying, arresting and prosecuting leaders and members of the sect involved in the attacks.

The president further directed that security be beefed up in all neighbouring states and security personnel placed on full alert to ensure that the attacks by misguided elements do not spread elsewhere.

The president urged all Nigerians to remain calm and go about their normal businesses in the full assurance that the Federal Government and national security services were taking all necessary action to apprehend those involved in the attacks and restore normalcy to the affected states.

Yar'Adua reaffirmed his determination to deal decisively with all those whose misguided beliefs and actions promoted violence and contempt for the rights of others, while undermining national peace, stability and security.