We Will Kill Any Security Operative And Government Official That Ventures Into Zamfara

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Some residents of Jangebe, the Zamfara community where some secondary schoolgirls were abducted last week have vowed to kill any government official or security operative who visits the community over the killing of a teenager by Nigerian soldiers during a protest on Wednesday.

Some youths in the community were said to have staged a protest when Zamfara government officials came to the town to reunite the abducted schoolgirls with their parents.

Suspected bandits had attacked Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, on February 26 and kidnapped 279 schoolgirls. The girls were later released after spending a few days in captivity.

After the students regained freedom, the government took them for counselling and rehabilitation and were on Wednesday, brought back to the community to reunite with their family members.

Pandemonium broke out however after anxious parents disrupted the speech of Alhaji Nasiru Muazu Magarya, Speaker of the Zamfara House of Assembly, and forcefully took their daughters away.

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The schoolgirls, who arrived at the school in the evening, were seated in the examination hall and were being addressed by the Speaker when the visibly disturbed parents broke into the hall and started hurling insults at the dignitaries that were meant to address the parents and the schoolgirls.

The programme was disrupted and after sensing trouble, the Speaker and commissioners attending the event quickly left. AFP report.

Shots were fired by men of the Nigerian army to disperse the crowd that was waiting outside the school, but the youths also began to throw stones at the security operatives.

There has been tension in Jangebe since the abduction of the girls, with the youths stopping security operatives and government officials from entering the main town.

A teenager was however killed in the clash between the security operatives and youths in the community.

“We are going to kill any government official or security operative that visits our village again over the life of the boy that was shot dead by soldiers during yesterday’s protest,”  villagers cried out.

Another resident accused security operatives of opening fire on innocent people.

He said Jangebe youths had a meeting and vowed to attack any government official and security operative seen in the community. He berated the state government for declaring a curfew in the town.

The Zamfara state government on Thursday had however imposed an indefinite curfew on the community.

Commissioner for Information, Sulaiman Anka, in a statement said the government imposed the curfew to prevent further breach of peace.

“Similarly, there is strong discovered evidence of market activities in the town that aid and abet bandits’ activities in the town and neighbouring communities. Consequently, all market activities in the town are hereby suspended until further notice,” the statement read.

“The state government is poised to ensure safety of lives and properties of its citizens at all cost. With this announcement, the Zamfara State Police Command is hereby enjoined to ensure total enforcement.”

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