…As 11 suspected militants killed in Egypt’s Sinai shootout***

Over 50 people were reportedly killed in bloody attacks in several communities bordering Adamawa and Taraba States.

Locals said that some Fulani militia on Monday night attacked several ethnic villages of Gojefa, Bujum Yashi, Bujum Waya, Sabonlayi and Bujum Kasuwa villages in Numan Local Government area of Adamawa State.

Other communities affected by the onslaught included Anguwan Bishop Yotti, Todung, Budon, Bunzum and Bamga Dutse in Taraba State.

One of the locals who survived the mayhem, identified as Galilee Ishaku, a resident of Sabon Layi said, “They are Fulanis who attacked us and they came when we were in the market because it’s market day.

“They suddenly entered our village and started shooting. We ran and cross over the river.  They followed us and kept on shooting.

“Right now as I am talking, they are in our village, grazing on our farms.

“The people I know that were killed were about 13 people but many of our villagers are still unaccounted for.”

Gerald Na’allah, a community leader said, “It has become a habit that we here that they are coming to our village to attack us.

“It usually start as a rumour and we report it to the appropriate authorities and it eventually happens that they come in and attack and kill and loot.

“People have stopped going to farm and not one is farming again, this so-called food security is not a reality because of these attacks.”

The member representing Numan in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Sodomti Tayedi, condemned the attacks and lamented that poverty and starvation looms for her constituency as most of the residents cannot go to farm because of the wave of incessant attacks.

She said more than 30 people are feared to have been killed in the recent wave of attacks.

The lawmaker also said that hardly a week would pass without an attack on her constituency by suspected Fulani militia.

According to her, the rate at which people now flee their ancestral homes for fear of the unknown was, alarming adding that the situation may soon result to food crisis in the state.

Tayedi said, “Our people are farmers and grazers but my community is now living in fear since these attacks started in November last year and has persisted up till date.

“We are hopeless and helpless, economic activities here have stopped, this is farming season and if we cannot go to farm, then poverty and starvation is what is left.

“We are calling on government as matter of urgency to come and secure our people and constituency since no one is allowed to take up arms, then it is the responsibility of the government to protect people.”

The Adamawa State government speaking on the attacks decried the attacks on agricultural communities in the state by herdsmen saying the attacks could lead to serious food crisis.
The Adamawa state Commissioner for information and strategy, Ahmad Sajoh, while condemning the attacks on communities in Numan and Demsa expressed government’s concern over the number of people fleeing their ancestral home for fear of impending attacks.

He said government is working with security agencies to restore peace to the affected communities.

Sajoh added that government would provide assistance to victims of the recent attack in Numan and Demsa.

This attack is the fourth in a fourth night and adds to the list of sad memories of Demsa and Numan in Adamawa and sad narrative of failure of security operatives in protecting lives and properties of civilians as close to a hundred people have been killed and several homes destroyed by the yet to be apprehended armed herdsmen killers.

Observers of the security incident have called for more proactive measures by security agents to apprehend the attackers and contain the constant attacks on Taraba and Adamawa communities by armed militia. – The Sun.

In a related development, at least 503 people have been killed by herdsmen from January to June in clashes in four states alone, a Daily Trust check reveals.

The deaths come from four north-central states of Benue, Plateau, Kogi and Nasarawa.

Some 503 people, including farmers, a village head, two priests and several churchgoers and travellers were killed in attacks across the four states in the first six months of 2018.

In the same period, 76 herders were killed in attacks in Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau, including 25 by soldiers in Benue.

No herder death was recorded in Kogi.

Only 98 cows were rustled—some killed, others wounded—all in Nasarawa alone in the first half of the year.

And efforts to get security difficulties under control have not gibed with the public.

In the meantime,  Egyptian security forces have killed 11 suspected militants in a shootout in al-Arish, the capital of North Sinai province, state news agency MENA, reported on Wednesday.

The shootout occurred as authorities pushed ahead with an operation to crush Islamic State.

The shootout occurred during a raid on a suspected militant hideout in an abandoned house in al-Arish, MENA said, citing an unnamed security source.

Three machine guns and a rifle were found at the hideout, MENA said.

The report did not mention any casualties or wounded among the security forces.

Interior ministry officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.

Egypt in February launched a highly-publicised operation against Islamic State militants who have waged years of attacks on security forces and civilians, killing hundreds.

The death of the 11 brings the total of those killed since the beginning of the operation to at least 261 suspected militants, according to a Reuters count based on military statements.

At least 35 military personnel have also been killed since February, according to a Reuters count, based on military statements.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the armed forces in November to defeat militants within three months after an attack on a mosque in Sinai killed more than 300 people.

Defeating Islamists and restoring security after years of unrest has been a promise of Sisi, who was re-elected in March in a landslide victory against no real opposition.

Sisi’s critics say his presidency has brought a harsh crackdown on dissent, but supporters say such measures are needed to stabilise Egypt, which was rocked by years of unrest after protests toppled veteran leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Additional report from The Citizen