Daura attack: Air Force deploys personnel, fighter jet

Following Tuesday’s attack on the advance team of the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina state, security agencies have deployed security personnel in and around Daura.

Daura residents, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the Nigerian Air Force conducted aerial surveillance of the town on Wednesday.

A Nigerian Airforce aircraft was reportedly seen conducting air surveillance of the town from 12noon to 1pm on Wednesday. More NAF personnel were also said to be on the ground in Daura, the president’s hometown.

NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet did not take calls and was yet to respond to a message sent to his line as of press time.

A drive around the town revealed no unusual deployment of soldiers and the police apart from those who normally man various security points. There was also no heavy presence of security operatives along Daura/ Kongolam road where the President’s residence is located.

However, the regular police and other security agents maintained their presence at their duty posts.

A Daura resident, Mr. Ado Lalu said residents were eagerly awaiting the President’s arrival from Abuja for the Eid-il-Kabir festival, slated to hold on Saturday, July 9.

On the contrary, the situation was rather different at the correctional facilities located along Jibia road and inside Katsina town as security was beefed up.

Visitors were not only frisked, those without prior appointments or genuine reasons were turned back and not allowed to linger within the premises of the centres.

Meanwhile in Dayi town, the Katsina Police Commissioner, Idris Dauda on Wednesday led the top management team of the state police command for the burial of ACP Aminu Umar, who was ambushed and killed by terrorists in Safana Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.

The solemn Islamic burial which took place at 11am was also attended by top police officers as well as the rank and file.

The Spokesman for the Command, SP Gambo Isah said the Area Commander was killed along with an unnamed officer in the line of duty.

Reacting to the incident, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in the state charged the Federal Government to justify the money spent on security by ensuring the safety of lives and property.

The CCSO in a statement by its Katsina chairman, Abdulrahman Abdullahi, said, “It is disturbing that government’s inability to provide our security men with working tools and chase bandits to their enclaves is continually resulting in the loss of gallantry officers like ACP Aminu Umar and other innocent Nigerians.

In separate news, while reacting to the unfortunate attack, the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has again reiterated his position that state police is the panacea to the current security challenges facing the country.

The governor, who condemned the attack on the President’s convoy by bandits in Katsina State on Tuesday, described it as daring.

He spoke on Wednesday while playing host to his former schoolmates at Loyola College Ibadan (1968/1972) set in his office, Alagbaka Akure, the state capital.

According to the governor, the security situation in the country had gone from bad to worse. He noted that the country’s security challenges had gone beyond Fulani herdsmen to the menace of bandits and ISWAP.

Akeredolu said, “We governors in the South-West met and we are still more than convinced that there is no solution other than state police. The truth is that we will be prepared to protect ourselves and die in the process more than other people from outside. We can only protect ourselves better.

“We will be more committed to protecting ourselves. By the time we have state police; we will be encouraged to recruit people in a local government to work in that local government as security (personnel).

“For me, state police is not for self-aggrandisement, it is a reality of the time. For us in the South and even in the North, I know so many of them that have come to accept that a single command of police is not good for this country. This country is too big.

“We will continue to make our voice heard everywhere. We are almost there. We are licking our wounds here over the June 5 attack in Owo. It is a serious wound. We will never forget. We are putting together a memorial in a conspicuous place in Owo.”

Earlier, the Acting President of the Loyola College Old Boys Association (1968/1972) set, Mr Ayodele Adigun condemned the June 5 attack in Owo, expressing shock that such a heinous crime could be carried out in the South-West.

He said the attack was particularly aimed at tarnishing the image of the governor and rubbishing his efforts so far, especially on the security of lives and property of the people.

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