By Rita Iliya
The Police on Thursday disclosed what they are doing to rescue Muslim worshippers recently abducted by suspected terrorists in Borgu and Agwara Local Government Areas of Niger State.
The Niger Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this at the maiden security situation interactive session with newsmen, security agencies and the state government officials on Thursday in Minna.
The Police spokesperson also revealed that the command is working with community members to establish the exact number of persons abducted.
He, however, noted that the difficult terrain and vastness of the affected areas had made the assessment challenging.
Abiodun said that the command received a report from New Bussa on Aug. 21 that suspected terrorists had invaded communities in Borgu Local Government Area during Friday prayers.
He said that the attacks occurred in Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana, where the attackers surrounded mosques shortly after worshippers had concluded the Juma’at prayers and abducted an unspecified number of persons.
The PPRO said that security agencies, including the Police Mobile Force, tactical teams, military and Department of State Services (DSS), immediately mobilised to the affected communities to assess the situation and commence rescue operations.
Abiodun said that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had responded to the situation by directing the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 7 to relocate to Niger to coordinate rescue efforts.
The command’s spokesman also said that IGP Olatunde Disu had also approved the deployment of additional tactical personnel and air support.
He said that the police were working in collaboration with other security agencies and the state government, which was providing necessary logistics, to facilitate the rescue of the victims.
According to him, the priority of the security agencies was to rescue the victims alive, stressing that the operation would be guided by intelligence and careful assessment rather than haste.
“Timeliness is not our priority; our priority is to rescue the victims alive.
“We need to analyse our intelligence properly and work with the families and communities because what matters most is the safe rescue of the victims,” he said.
Abiodun said the security situation was further complicated by the vastness of Niger State, adding that Borgu, one of the largest local government areas in the country, had difficult terrains that could delay security response.
He said that tactical units had been deployed to Agwara, Papiri and other locations, while a divisional police formation remained in New Bussa to strengthen security coverage across the affected areas.
The PPRO also confirmed the killing of the Magajin Gari of Agwara, who was attacked by suspected armed men.
Abiodun further said that a tactical team and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area mobilised to the scene and had recovered the corpse.
He said the command had commenced investigation to identify those responsible for the killing, while clearance operations would be intensified to rid the affected communities of criminal elements.
Abiodun said the command was also paying particular attention to activities around the Kainji Lake National Park and other difficult-to-access areas believed to be used by criminal elements as hideouts.
He added that the Force Headquarters had deployed air assets and other resources to support the ongoing operations, stressing that the combined efforts of the security agencies were aimed at rescuing the abducted persons and restoring lasting peace to the affected communities.
The PPRO called for continued cooperation between security agencies, the state government and local communities, saying timely and credible information from residents remained critical to the success of the rescue and clearance operations.
The interactive session was attended by Mr Maurice Magaji, Commissioner for Homeland Security in Niger, representative of the DSS and heads of other security agencies.(NAN)
