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After Over 170 Days In Captivity, Terrorists Free 9 Varsity Students

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Nine of the 21 students kidnapped from the Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State have been released after enduring 178 days in captivity.

The students were part of a larger group abducted by terrorists from an off-campus hostel in Sabon Gida, located opposite the university, during a raid in September of the previous year.

The release was secured following prolonged negotiations spanning approximately four months, as disclosed by one of the negotiators to PREMIUM TIMES, preferring to remain anonymous.

The painstaking process involved intense lobbying efforts to ensure the safety and eventual freedom of the abducted students.

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Upon their abduction last September, a swift response from security forces resulted in the rescue of some victims within hours of the incident.

However, the majority remained in the clutches of their captors, leading to a protracted period of negotiation for their release.

The negotiator revealed to PREMIUM TIMES that the terrorists explicitly stated their actions were not motivated by ransom demands, suggesting alternative motives behind the abduction.

The exact reasons, however, remain part of the ongoing investigation and discourse surrounding the incident.

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The student abduction from the Federal University Gusau has been a focal point of concern, highlighting the persistent security challenges in Zamfara State and the broader northwestern region of Nigeria, where educational institutions have increasingly become targets for terrorist and bandit activities.

The release of the nine students marks a glimmer of hope amid the prevailing insecurity and brings relief to the affected families and the university community.

Nonetheless, the situation underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures and strategic interventions to prevent future occurrences and ensure the safety of students and residents in the region.

“We began discussing with them immediately after the students were taken. They were reluctant in the beginning but when we insisted, they listened to us,” he said.

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He said Ali Kawaje, the leader of the terror group that carried out the abduction, was angry with both the federal and Zamfara State governments for arresting his brother.

“He insisted that we must make amends,” the negotiator said, asking not to be named for safety reasons.

The negotiator said after Mr Kawaje was killed in an air raid by the Nigeria Air Force, the negotiations started afresh as the new group commander insisted the students would not be released.

“It took us weeks to convince him, with the help of some Fulani leaders. When we resumed the discussion, they insisted that the reason for the abduction was not for money but to have some of their relatives released by security agents.

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“These nine students were released as part of commitments by some of the Fulani leaders we involved in the negotiations,” he said.

When asked if money was involved, the negotiator said the terrorists themselves were “clear from the beginning” that no money should be involved.

“Even the people they’re saying the federal government should release, we’re yet to know who and who they’re talking about. So, we didn’t talk to the government about money and secondly, there was no prisoner swap. That’s what I can tell you,” he said.

The students were held by the terrorists in Babbar Doka forest near Kaduna State. They were released late evening on Friday and handed over to the negotiators.

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“This is part of the commitment and we believe that by the grace of God, they’ll release more. We’re hopeful that with the involvement of the National Security Adviser, we’ll do more. The most important thing is that no money is involved in the process,” he said.

The students have been handed over to security agencies who are expected to hand them over to the state government later today.

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Metro

New terror group, Lakurawa, kills 15, rustles many cows in Kebbi

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The state Deputy Governor, Umar Abubakar Tafida and the Emir of Argungu, Sama’ila Muhammad Mera, also attended the funeral prayers of the deceased on Friday afternoon at Mera, Kebbi State.

At least 15 persons killed by a new Jihadist group, “Lakurawa” have been buried in Kebbi State.

The state Deputy Governor, Umar Abubakar Tafida and the Emir of Argungu, Sama’ila Muhammad Mera, also attended the funeral prayers of the deceased on Friday afternoon at Mera, Kebbi State.

SaharaReporters had on November 6, 2024, reported that a newly formed Jihadist group known as ‘Lakurawa’ had emerged, imposing taxes and levies on communities in Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria.

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They were reported to have set up bases in the affected local government areas, moving from community to community and preaching against western civilisation and democratic system of government, similar to the ideology of Boko Haram terrorists.

Also on Friday (yesterday) the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, officially confirmed the existence of the new armed Jihadists group, ‘Lakurawa’ in the country’s northwestern states of Sokoto and Kebbi.

The military had noted that the development was worsening security challenges in the Northwest region.

On Friday afternoon, the terrorists reportedly attacked Mera, in Kebbi State, and rustled large number of cattle.

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They were however, engaged by the locals, resulting in fatalities on both sides.

The Spokesperson for the police in Kebbi, SP Nafiu Abubakar, has confirmed the incident, saying “Yes there was a terrorists attack on Mera yesterday (Friday) resulting in 15 deaths.

“As of now we are yet to ascertain the identity of the attackers. It’s too early to confirm whether the attackers were from the Lakurawa’ group or not,” he added.

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Lady Celebrates As Father Loses Land He Refused To Give Her ‘For Being A Female’

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A young Nigerian lady is happy after her father lost his land to thieves. He had refused to give it to her because she is a girl.

In a tweet that gained a lot of attention, the lady, @uxcynn on X (formerly Twitter), shared her feelings about the loss.

She explained that her father’s choice not to pass the land to her because of her gender had hurt her deeply.

“The land my father said he would never give me cos I’m a woman, they don thief am from him hand. Thank you Jesus babydoll Igbo man think say he sharp, lmaoo,” she wrote.

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The post spread rapidly, leading to discussions about gender bias in inheritance and property rights, especially in specific cultural settings.

Many people backed her response, viewing it as a form of poetic justice, while others shared their thoughts on traditional views of inheritance.

See some comments below:

@Chimaizuobi stated, “I’d rather my siblings have it than a stranger though, but it’s all love.”

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Another user @obiokeke_ stated, “I remembered when an uncle with a daughter told me my late mum was not supposed to do so much to get a part of her father’s land. i asked if i could help him chase his daughter from whatever he leaves behind after his demise, he said i was rude.”

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Outrage as three policemen beat varsity student to death 

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Three police officers have allegedly beaten a Kwara State University (KWASU) student to death at Tanke Bridge in Ilorin, Kwara State.

SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred when the victim got off a motorcycle and was approached by the three officers from the Ganmo Division, who then dragged him to the ground.

In September, SaharaReporters had reported that a trigger-happy police officer reportedly shot dead another student of Kwara State Polytechnic, identified as Ishola Abdulqoyum, along Panat Road, a link between Sango and ShopRite in Kwara State.

An eyewitness told SaharaReporters on Friday that the victim had arrived by bike to retrieve N1000 he had already transferred to a Point of Sale (POS) operator.

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He intended to give the money to the motorcycle rider who brought him.

“I was with him,” the witness said. “As soon as he collected the money, the officers came out of a tricycle and dragged him down. The deceased kept asking what offence he had committed, but they didn’t let him speak.”

The eyewitness further stated that the victim pleaded, saying he was asthmatic, but the officers ignored him.

The witness said he confronted the officers, questioning why they were assaulting the student. When asked what offence the victim had committed, the officers claimed they had come from Lagos on information about the victim.

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“We asked if they were indeed tracking him from Lagos, they should call the headquarters or a divisional station to send a vehicle. They couldn’t give us a clear answer and instead tried to find a tricycle to transport him.”

“It got to a stage where I had to confront them. One of the officers tried to cock his gun. I told him to shoot if they really thought they would get out of there freely, and another officer was saying, ‘Don’t shoot.’ ”

The eyewitness told SaharaReporters that he felt distressed watching how the officers beat and mistreated the victim.

He said the deceased was a gentle and friendly person who frequently came to buy meat from him.

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The victim’s friend is a Point-of-Sale operator, and the deceased often visited to play with his friend before leaving.

According to the eyewitness, the victim didn’t quarrel with anyone.

“They were using their guns to hit him on his head, kicking him and handcuffing him. This is when he started to weaken. The deceased drank six or seven bottles of water here,” the eyewitness stated.

He said he told one of the officers that the deceased was an asthmatic patient and shouldn’t be treated so cruelly, but the officer showed no remorse.

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“A woman selling groundnuts also intervened, warning them that the deceased was too weak, but they ignored her. One of the officers even said, ‘Let him die. We don’t care.’”

The eyewitness questioned why people entrusted with protecting citizens’ lives would be the ones killing people.

According to him, “The guy truly suffered before he died. One of our people followed the officers as others were insisting they take him to a hospital. The officers told him that if anyone asked what happened, he should say he knew nothing.”

“On their way, instead of going directly to the police station in Ganmo, they diverted. Before they even reached the station, the victim had died.”

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He urged Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the state police commissioner to investigate the incident and arrest the three officers involved.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, another eyewitness mentioned that when the officers tried to forcefully take the deceased away, people stood their ground, insisting he needed medical help.

The eyewitness added that the victim kept asking for water because he was very weak. They gave him some water, but when he lost strength due to the beating, they urged the officers to take him to a hospital.

A frozen food seller who witnessed the incident told SaharaReporters he was asleep in his shop when he heard people shouting.

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“I was in my shop sleeping because I sell chicken. When I heard the commotion, I ran to the scene and saw that the victim was one of my customers being beaten.”

He said he challenged the officers, asking what the victim’s offence was to warrant such treatment.

“I told them that even if he was a criminal, they had no right to beat him under the Nigerian constitution. The most they should do is take him to the station and get information from him.

“I asked, ‘Is it after beating him to death that you’ll start asking questions?’ When I tried to intervene, someone asked why I was concerned, and I told them the victim was my customer. Since he’d been coming to buy chicken from me, I’d never seen anything suspicious about him.”

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The officers claimed the victim was a criminal they had been tracking for the past three months. The witness replied, “Is that why you want to kill him?”

He told SaharaReporters that he challenged them, saying that if they killed him and ran away, the same police who were supposed to uphold the law would be the ones violating it.

“The deceased was shouting that he was thirsty and could not stand on his own; his eyes had rolled up. When people suggested which hospital to take him to, he kept asking for an inhaler—he was an asthmatic patient.”

He said that when a woman informed the officers that the victim they were beating was asthmatic, one of the officers responded that the victim was pretending.

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“I told the officers that we should call his family, but one of them said the victim’s phone was with them and that it wasn’t a matter for the family. I felt sorry for the guy; he was too weak and could no longer stand on his own. At that point, even the officers seemed scared.”

He added that he urged the officers to take the victim to the hospital. Later, one of them who had accompanied the victim returned around 8 p.m. and informed them that the victim had died.

When SaharaReporters contacted the Kwara State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, she confirmed that the two officers had been arrested and detained.

“Two of the officers have been arrested and detained. An investigation is ongoing,” she said.

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