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APRIL 30, 2007 VOL. 21. NO 3

Return of the Talibans

**Sunday Ehindero, Inspector General of Police**

In a blistering move, reminiscent of the terror era of the Maitaisene religious uprising, Islamic fundamentalists lay siege on Kano, killing and forcing people out of their homes
By Suleiman Anyalewechi, Kano
Until about three weeks ago, Kano since 1997 has never recorded any high profile armed robbery incident. In fact, the last known serious case of robbery was the raiding of former Owena Bank, Kano branch in 1997 by a team of about 21 robbers, who carted away several millions of naira, including foreign currencies.
Similarly, until the gruesome murder of the wife of Alhaji Mohammadu Abubakar Rimi in January 2006, the state and indeed most of the Northern part of the country have never been known to be afflicted with politically motivated assassinations.
However, the ancient commercial centre has always been known for its volatility in terms of religious and ethnic violence, which dates back to the pre-independence years.
But since three weeks ago, the city has joined the league of states in the country, where residents live in perpetual fear of armed robbery attacks and serial assassination of people especially security agents.
The orgy of robbery incidents and killings in Kano in recent times, climaxed last Tuesday, April 17, following the slaying of 12 policemen at the Panshikara police station by suspected militants numbering about 40; they equally burnt down the police station . According to The Source’s findings, the suspected militants, whom the police authorities describe as religious fundamentalists, had at about 7:30am last Tuesday stormed the police station, firing indiscriminately at the end of which about 12 policemen who had just reported for duty were killed. The wife of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of the station was also killed. Authoritative sources revealed that the militants, who only speak and understand Arabic, came with their wives and children who were said to be brandishing several types of sophisticated weapons.
Curiously, the militants appear for now not to be interested in harming the civilian populace as The Source gathered that the militants after killing the policemen appealed to residents of Panshikara to join them in their crusade, even for a fee. Similarly, they were said to have promised to give any one who joins them charms that would prevent bullets from killing them. Among the policemen killed were a Superintendent of Police (S.P) a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and 10 other members of the rank and file.
In fact, the spate of robbery attacks, and assassinations being visited on Kano was kick-started precisely on April 1, 2007, when a gang of about 10 people attacked and robbed a popular Bureau de Change operator in Kano metropolis. The armed men who were said to have come in two flashy jeep vehicles reportedly carted away millions of naira, including foreign currencies. They were said to have stormed the area popularly known as Wappa at about 11a.m and operated for over an hour, at the end of which apart from the money carted away, they killed two people.
This was immediately followed by the robbing of an internet service provider, MegaTech on Friday, April 6.
According to sources, the armed men numbering about 10 had stormed the company located on Murtala Mohammed Way at about 1pm, blocking the road and halting traffic for over an hour. At the end of the operation, the armed men were said to have gone away with an unspecified sum of money, together with some communication gadgets.
A few days later, the siege was to take a different dimension, with security agents as the target of the yet- to -be identified gun- men. Specifically, on Monday, April 9, about 10 armed men visited the Kano State Command headquarters of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) at about 1a.m and in the process killed about four of the commission’s staff on duty. They were said to have made away with one of the commission’s vans. However, they reportedly abandoned the vehicle at a police check point when they ran out of fuel.
A day after, on Tuesday, April 10, the armed men attacked a police station in Sharada, a suburb of Kano killing two policemen in the process. They were said to have set the police station ablaze after carting away over 40 rifles and thousands of ammunitions.
Three days later, precisely on Friday, April 13, Kano witnessed, perhaps, what can be described as its most shocking assassination case when a renowed Islamic cleric, Sheihk Muhammadu Adamu Jafar and two of his followers were gunned down by yet-to-be identified gunmen. According to reports, the cleric, known for his liberal views, was gunned down at his mosque in Dureiyi area of Kano at about 5:30am while leading early morning prayers for Moslem faithfuls.
Although the identity of the gunmen and their motives are yet to be clearly determined, the police authorities said they suspect that the attack was perpetrated by a gang of fundamentalists.
Addressing the press penultimate week in Kano, Alhaji Adedayo Adeoye, a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) said from investigations carried out so far, the group appears to be a fundamentalist one. He noted that most of the attacks and operations appear to be the handiwork of the same group, promising that the police would do everything possible to track them down.
The Source’s findings last week somewhat corroborates that of the police. It was gathered, for instance, that the gang which attacked the FRSC office was the same one that attacked the Sharada police station. In fact, the gang was to attack the Sharada police station same day as the FRSC, but for the problem encountered with the van it took from the FRSC. Authoritative sources revealed, last week, that the van seized from the FRSC was meant to be used by the militants to cart away arms and ammunition from Sharada police station. Besides, it was gathered that the dress code of the militants that attacked the FRSC was the same with that of those that visited Sharada police station. Similarly, the militants were said to have on arrival at both the FRSC and the police station chanted the Islamic slogan Allah Akbar (Allah is Great) before carrying out their operations. The same was said to be the case during the Panshikara attack of last Tuesday.
According to sources, the police is believed to be working on the theory that the same fundamentalists must also have been behind the two robbery incidents that took place around the same period. The police is said to be working on the theory that the militants, in a bid to raise funds for their operations, must have decided to undertake a few robberies. Similarly, the police is said to be of the strong belief that the attack on police stations and other security outfits are meant to raise enough arms and ammunition with which to prosecute whatever operation they want to carry out. This theory is somewhat reinforced by the fact that the militants have always taken away arms and ammunition at every police station attacked.
By the time of filing this report last Wednesday, the identity of the militants appear to have been known to many, as their operational tactics seem to be in line with those of the Talibans that held Borno and Yobe states hostage about two years ago. In fact, following the gruesome attack on Panshikara police station last Tuesday, leading to the death of about 12 policemen, the authorities quickly deployed soldiers to confront the militants believed strongly to have come from neighbouring Chad Republic. Discovering that the police could not handle the problem posed by the militants alone, the authorities after an emergency security council meeting last Tuesday decided to send in troops to Panshikara believed to have been completely taken over by the militants. Although about 40 of them were said to have carried out the Panshikara operation, the militants are believed to be over 1,000 in number and are strongly believed to have taken over the Panshikara area of Kano.
On Wednesday April 18, the deployment of soldiers to fish out the militants paid off as 25 members of the Islamic fundamentalist group were killed by the soldiers. According to Colonel Ayo Olaniyan, army spokesman, the militants killed by the soldiers are believed to be responsible for the panshikara police station carnage.
While the army spokesman did not give details of army casualties in the operation, some people allege that about three soldiers lost their lives in the battle with the fundamentalists.
To effectively deal with the situation, the authorities which are said to be afraid that the situation might signal the return of the Maitaisene- era, last Tuesday quickly withdrew soldiers put on some major roads in Kano to forestall any breakdown of law and order during the election and deployed them to Panshikara. The soldiers were drawn from the two military barracks in the state.
But not many Kano residents are taken aback by the recent activities of the militants. The state has for long been threatened by the activities of suspected terrorists, who have, however, been kept at bay by the security agencies in the state especially the State Security Service SSS which even established a special unit to monitor the movement of suspected members of the Talibans. When and how they finally infiltrated the state remains a riddle only time would probably solve.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government last Wednesday inaugurated a committee to help resettle some displaced residents of Panshikara who were forced to leave their homes by the militants. The committee has Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, the State's its chairman.