Browsing: Insecurity

On August 16, one of northwestern Nigeria’s most notorious bandits, Dogo Gide, released a video in which he claimed his fighters were responsible for downing a Nigerian air force helicopter in Shiroro, Kaduna State; this attack killed 20 soldiers and three senior military officers (premiumtimesng.com, August 16). Shiroro is where Ansaru, an al-Qaeda-affiliated and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)-loyal faction, attempted to recruit villagers and establish hideouts in 2021 (dailytrust.com, June 28, 2021). Ansaru also employed the same tactic when it shot down another air force helicopter en route from Kaduna to the Nigerian capital of Abuja in 2020 (punchng.com, February 6, 2020). These factors combine with reports of Dogo Gide allying with Ansaru to lend credibility to Gide’s claim that his group brought down the aforementioned helicopter (humangle.ng, June 9, 2020).

“The current situation in Isa, Headquarters of Isa Local Government is a case in point of the nonchalant attitude of the Sokoto Governor and his administration to the plight of the citizens that are under the stranglehold of bandits. As of today, all roads into the town are cut off by the gunmen, who have already taken hostage, scores of travelers on those routes. The bandits are also at present, surrounding and laying siege on Isa for close to 48 hours, so far, taking over 20 people hostage in the process,” the party said.