…As Badaru says Instant rain claims 25 lives in Jigawa***
The Nigeria Army has confirmed the killing of Mr Terwase Akwaza, alias “Gana,” the ‘most wanted criminal’ in Benue state.
The Commander, 4 Special Forces Command, Doma, Nasarawa state, Maj. -Gen. Moundhey Ali, told newsmen on Tuesday that Gana was killed at a roadblock mounted by the Army along Gbese-Gboko-Makurdi road following exchange of gunfire.
The Benue state government had in 2015 granted amnesty to over 500 persons including Gana, who were terrorising parts of Benue and Taraba states, but most of them relapsed into criminality.
Gana was later in 2017, declared wanted by the Police while the Benue state government placed a N10 million bounty on him.
According to Ali, the army has recorded another breakthrough in their efforts to rid the country of the activities of bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements.
He said: “At about 12:00 hours today (Tuesday), we received strategic information on the movement of the dreaded bandit Terwase Akwaza Agbadu AKA Gana along Gbese-Gboko-Makurdi road.
“Troops of Operation ‘Ayem Akpatuma III’ moved swiftly and mounted snap roadblocks along the routes.
Also read: Police in Gombe parade 3 women, 1 man over alleged abduction, sale of children
“At about 13:00 hours, there was a meeting engagement with the convoy of Gana, a shoot out ensued and the bandit was killed.”
The Commander also said that 40 armed members of Gana’s gang were captured during the operation.
He said the captured gang members were in Army custody and would be handed over to the appropriate authority for prosecution.
Ali also disclosed that several rifles, pump-action guns, ammunition, charms and explosives among other items were recovered from the gang.
He said Gana’s corpse had been deposited at the morgue.
In another development, no fewer than 25 persons were killed and more than 51,000 houses destroyed by heavy rainfall in Jigawa.
Gov. Muhammad Badaru, made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Dutse.
The governor, however, said he could not immediately give the exact number of casualties, adding: “You see to put the number of how many people died, you see this keep increasing.
“The last count we had was between 20 and 25. Some are yet to verify whether it is as a result of flooding or other issues, whatever it is even if it is one life that is lost as a result of flooding is very serious,” he said.
Badaru, who condoled the families of the deceased and sympathised with those whose property were destroyed in the current flash floods assured them of his government support.
He noted that not most of the death recorded were attributed to the heavy rainfall which led to the sudden collapsed of their houses.
“What we have seen today is not the traditional flooding, we are still praying and hoping that Hadejia valley would still be intact untill the end of the rainy season.
“A lot of embankment had been built up around the valley. In the last five months, we have been putting embankments in places where floods occurred.
“This year; we have experienced less flooding in those areas where we have provided mitigation.
“Most of the flooding this year were in places where we envisaged but we will still analyse.
“This year; there is a heavy downpour and if you analyse with the number of houses that have gone down, I think more than 51,000 houses destroyed, but we are still counting.
“The instant rain come up and poured, and because of the fact that the houses cannot keep off and they keep going down.
“And in some cases is not about flooding but heavy rainfall that destroyed the mud houses our people have and that has been the trend this year,” Badaru said.
He said the flood submerged many towns and areas which were too numerous for him to visit but assured to support the affected communities as soon as he gets a comprehensive report from the committee set up to ascertain the damage.
“I think even our estimates of 51,000 houses is based on the towns that we have to but I am sure by the time our team comes back from the fact-finding mission and going round the whole of the state we will get the exact number,” the governor said.
According to him, 21 persons lost their lives in the mud houses while four others drowned in the rivers.
“It is really tragic and we are putting a lot of mitigating mechanism to checkmate it.
The governor commended the Federal Government for the construction of embankment on Hadejia River and other support programmes to control flooding in the state.
He added that the Federal Government was also supporting the state to arrest the unfortunate incident through its ecological fund,.
The newsmen gathered that arrangements were on the top gear to relocate some of the communities in flood-prone areas of the state.
The affected communities continue to experience loss of lives and property every year due to flood and heavy rainfall in the state.
