Former army spokesman calls for effective intelligence gathering to defeat bandits after attack on hometown

A onetime army spokesman, Brigadier-General Sani Kukasheka has spoken of urgent need to rout the bandits causing mayhem and deaths in northern Nigeria following the attack on his village in which he lost his younger brother.

General Kukasheka does not view attacks by the bandits that have attacked his close family members as anything personal but he condfemned the operations of the bandits.

The general said, “you can see the humanitarian crisis this attack has caused. My brother had a wife and a male child and one young boy was sent on an errand by his mother. Other victims were breadwinners of their families. One of them was catering for over 30 people.

“Anyone living around this area is vulnerable, especially in Kankara. All we need to do is intensify intelligence and information gathering about them. It cannot continue like that, they will not stop, therefore they need to be stopped” he said.

“This is not the first attack that affected my immediate family. My wife’s younger sister was once abducted in a neighbouring village of Yaba. My wife’s elder brother was shot next to my house and on the same day, my mother-in-law was kidnapped; she spent 17 days in captivity close to Eid el Kabir.

“Just three days ago, there was an attack on Malumfashi town in which the bandits killed three persons and abducted the spouse of one Alhaji Yahuza and children.

“Therefore, it is not a personal thing. Although I don’t know their motives, I see it as a common problem that requires an urgent solution.

According to a report by Daily Trust, on Monday October 7, 2024, bandits attacked Kukasheka, the hometown of the former army spokespersonkilling four persons and injuring five others.

The bandits shot and instantly killed Shuaibu Abdullahi, Saifullahi Aminu, Abubakar Usman and Sagir Abdullahi.

Those wounded were Habibu Isufu, Abba Hassan, Ado Adamu, Bala Garba and Kabiru Abdullahi.
Two amongst the injured later died while receiving treatment at the hospital, raising the number of fatalities to six, including the younger brother of the retired general.

The wife of the chief imam of the village was kidnapped during the attack.

Speaking with Weekend Trust, the former army spokesman said the attackers came around 10am on Monday and opened fire on residents.

He said almost all the casualties were family men with many dependants.