Bandits

By Muhammad Sabiu

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

President Muhammadu Buhari’s popularity has plummeted to the lowest level since he took over as the country’s leader in 2015, according to the latest Vanguard for Good Governance Initiative (VGGI) survey.

Results of the survey compiled by VGGI, show President Buhari’s popularity has declined sharply during the past two months with his approval rating dropping from 58 percent to 21 percent.

On specific issues, the survey found Nigerians, especially northerners, were unhappy over matters of heightened insecurity. Moreover, concerns about the economy, especially the cost of living and rising inflation are now seeing the president’s popularity hitting an all-time low among Nigerians.

The survey also reveals that the IPOB activities in the South-East is crippling the economy of the region.

VGGI says its survey consisted of phone calls, emails, interviews and text messages over the past three months to slightly more than 150,000 people.

By Sumayya Auwal Ishaq

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmad

The former Senator of Kaduna State, representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has urged the federal government of Nigeria to declare bandits as federal civil servants on Twitter earlier today.

The former senator said this while lamenting on the incessant killings of Christian and Muslim worshippers in their religious houses by bandits. While the government failed to declare them as terrorists.

He tweeted, “They [bandits] killed Muslim worshipers in their mosques in Niger and Katsina State; they killed Christians in their Churches in Kaduna State; if the Government doesn’t want to declare them terrorists, it should declare them federal civil servants.”

By Abdurraman Muhammad

Following the sustained operations against the bandits in Kaduna State, in another success for the security forces, over 50 bandits have been neutralized during a combined ground and air assault in the Saulawa-Farin Ruwa axis of Birnin Gwari LGA.

In a press release on security updates signed by the Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs of Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan who narrated how the operation was successful stated that, “the Command of the Joint Operations, a Nigerian Air Force helicopter gunship provided close air support to ground troops advancing from the Dogon Dawa-Damari-Saulawa axis.”

“Following extensive scans, bandits were spotted on five motorcycles, about 4km east of Saulawa, waiting to ambush the ground forces. They were engaged vigorously by the helicopter gunship, and were wiped out.”

Mr. Aruwan added that, “After armed bandits on about 50 motorcycles were sighted fleeing towards Farin Ruwa, and were struck effectively by the gunship. Fleeing remnants were mopped up by ground forces.”

“A second helicopter gunship joined the operations, and many more fleeing bandits were neutralized by precise strikes. Assessment revealed that more than 50 bandits were neutralized during the joint operation.”

On his part, Governor Nasir El-Rufai expressed his satisfaction at the operational feedback, and congratulated the ground troops and gunship crews on the rout. He urged them to sustain the momentum and bring even more bandits to their bitter end.