Guardian

KANO witnessed the first attack by members of Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, otherwise called Boko Haram, on January 20, 2012, a few hours after the weekly Friday prayers.

The target was the Kano State Police Command headquarters in Bompai; the state headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) at ‘Yan Kaba; and the Zone One Police headquarters along Bayero University, all within the Kano metropolis.

That same day, there was another attack on the Farm Centre Police Station. A  few days after the coordinated attacks, there were a series of attacks on police formations at Sharada, Rijiyar Zaki, ‘Yar Akwa, Mandawari and Goron Dutse.

This resulted in casualties, although the main intention of the insurgents was to gain access to the well-protected armouries of Zone One and State Command police headquarters.

The exact number of policemen/women killed could not be ascertained, but it was clear that a handful were affected.

Mandawari Police Station was attacked more than thrice consecutively. Men of the station courageously repelled the Boko Haram attacks to the extent that even the Inspector General of Police was reported to have acknowledged their gallantry.

Police and other security operatives were killed in cold blood, some in their homes and others where they were posted outside their stations.

Madam Rose, one of the widows of a slain police officer with three children, lamented that life would never be the same again. She remembered that when she heard of the killing of their breadwinner, what came to her mind first was the schooling of the children and the agony of life without her loved husband.

Sani, a son of one of the slain police officers who refused to disclose the identity of his father, urged the authorities to quickly make all the necessary preparations to ensure the prompt payment of his father’s entitlements and other benefits.

“He was killed while on duty. That shows how patriotic our father and others that were killed were. They should therefore be appreciated by looking after their families”, he said.

All attempts to speak to the concerned authorities on the payment of benefits to the families of the murdered officers and men proved abortive. But a reliable source confirmed that the police authorities were doing their best to pay to the bereaved families.

“You are aware that the Inspector General of Police is a man of his words. In fact, all necessary arrangements are in top gear towards the payment of the deceased’s entitlements to their families”, the source, who pleaded for anonymity stressed.

Another victim, who sustained injuries during the attack on their patrol vehicle, confirmed to The Guardian that authorities assured them of quick payment of their entitlements.

The Kano State government on its part is doing everything possible to console the families of those whose sons or daughters. When there was a bomb a few months back at the New Road Motor Park which killed scores of people, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Kano State Deputy Governor, visited the scene of the incidence a day after.

During the visit, he condemned the unfortunate attack, saying it was carried out by people that were hell bent to cause all kinds of confusion among the adherents of different religions in the country.

“Those that perpetrated this ugly incidence are criminals. They are not representing any religion. Islam does not preach for violence, neither does Christianity,” he said.

A Police Sergeant, Maimuna Yusif was shot dead by unknown gunmen who drove in a tricycle and opened fire on her, a day after the motor park attack.  She died instantly

Attached to Zone One Police Headquarters, she had stopped at one vulcanizer’s shop by the road side along Farm Centre to repair one of her car tyres. Unknown to her, some gunmen were trailing her.

A day after Maimuna’s gruesome murder, a  police vehicle was ambushed by some unknown gunmen along Sabon Titi/Madobi road in Kumbotso local government. Nine police men sustained gunshot wounds of various degrees. They were admitted at the Armed Forces Hospital. One of them had fractured leg and was transferred to Dala National Orthopedic Hospital.

When the injured police men were in the hospital, former governor of Lagos state, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande and the Presidential candidate of ACN at the 2011 election, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, went to the Armed Forces Hospital, in company with the state governor, Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, to console them.

But the attacks were not limited to police, SSS men and military personnel alone. Some paramilitary personnel were also attacked. Not long ago, a patrol vehicle of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was attacked along Madobi Way. A few days after, the prime suspect was arrested. A Sudanese man claimed responsibility, saying that had nothing to do with Boko Haram insurgency.

The then Kano state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim K. Idris revealed that on  November 20 last year, operatives engaged a gang of armed robbers on motorcycle, leading to the arrest of 28-year-old Ahmed Tijjani of no fixed address, and Safiyanu Abubakar, 32, from Kebbi.  One AK 47 rifle and 27 rounds of live ammunitions were found on them.

He further revealed that they confessed to a series of attacks in Kano, including that of MC PVC Ltd, Plot 28 of Sharada Industrial Estate, robberies at Charanchi and Zangon Dakata filling stations. They also confessed to two robberies at Kantin Kwari market,  Gidan Keji BUK Road and one at Sharada Rubber Company.

The arrested armed robbers led operatives to other hide-outs of some men of the underworld where one bag of high density polythene chemical, four containers of ready made bombs, one leather containing sulphur, 20 connecting cables, one Jincheng motorcycle and other chemical substances were recovered.

On November 19 last year, Bello Abbas of Unguwar Wanzamai Gunduwawa qtrs, Kano was arrested. He confessed to have participated in the armed robberies in Badawa and Dakata quarters where one policeman attached to the Dakata Division, was killed.

Kano has remained peaceful and calm for some weeks now, a situation many hope to remain.  Security has been beefed up around all the police formations in the state.