There are indications that suspected terrorists in the North are relocating following the missile attacks carried out by the United States of America on Thursday night.
Credible community leaders said they noticed movements as the hoodlums migrated in small numbers after the Christmas Day attacks.
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the US military carried out deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in northwestern Nigeria.
Confirming the strike, the Federal Government said it gave the US support and that the strikes were carried out on targeted areas being used by the terrorists.
However, no casualty was recorded in the two locations struck by the missiles.
At Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, a missile hit a farmland, while some buildings were affected in Offa, Kwara State.
Officials of Tangaza LGA in Sokoto State, however, said additional missile strikes were carried out on suspected hideouts of the Lakurawa armed group in parts of the Sokoto axis.
Although there were no deaths, several residents sustained injuries, while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.Although there were no deaths, several residents sustained injuries, while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in Offa.
Influx of bandits in Benue
The Chairman of the Traditional Council in Gwer West LGA of Benue State, Daniel Abomtse, raised the alarm over the influx of armed herders into some communities following the US strike.
Speaking to one of our correspondents on Saturday, the traditional ruler said he noticed the presence of armed herders in his domain.
He said, “I felt their movement in my local government as well as in Agatu LGA. They have been running away from Sokoto to coastal areas in Gwer West and Agatu with sophisticated arms and grazing openly. They are in my domain.”
While appreciating the US strike, Abomtse called on Trump to extend the operations to Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Niger and Plateau states.
“What President Trump has done is the best thing to have happened to the government of Nigeria. I commend him for dealing with the menace in the country, which began about 16 years ago,” he added.
Efforts to get confirmation of Abomtse’s claims from the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful, as her phone rang out and messages sent were not replied to as of the time of filing this report.
Security sources and residents said the Christmas attacks had disrupted the operations of bandits and forced them out of their hideouts.
Community leaders in Tangaza, Gudu and parts of Illela in Sokoto said there had been signs of dislocation and movement among armed groups since the strike.
According to some of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity, some bandits were seen moving in smaller numbers towards remote forest corridors, while others were believed to have attempted crossing into neighbouring border communities to evade aerial and ground surveillance.
A community leader in Tangaza said the airstrike “sent a strong signal” and forced criminal elements to abandon familiar routes and camps.
“People are cautious, but there is relief that their hideouts were hit,” he added.
Government officials in Sokoto State said intelligence assessments were ongoing to determine the direction and scale of bandit movement after the strike.
A senior official said security agencies had been placed on alert to prevent terrorists from infiltrating safer communities, stressing that border patrols and joint operations with federal forces were being intensified to block escape routes.
A security expert, Bashar Umar, said the state government, in collaboration with the military and other security agencies, was strengthening surveillance across flashpoints, particularly in border local governments to curb the terrorists movement.
Culled from The Punch
