How Boko Haram attacked Kaduna State

Boko Haram sect

KADUNA State at the weekend had its own bitter taste of bloody action of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, as it razed a police station, killing a police Inspector, destroyed two banks and carted away millions of Naira. The sect operated in Saminaka, about two hours drive from Kaduna metropolis, throwing residents into confusion, shooting sporadically as they attacked the police station and banks in the local government head quarters. The Moment gathered that gunmen after attacking the police station, also killed two and carted away weapons before destroying the station. According to sources in Saminaka, the assailants immediately moved to two banks, First Bank and KeystoneBank Ltd where they robbed and carted away unconfirmed amount of money, leaving one security man dead. A report monitored on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service on Sunday morning said, ‘ Information gathered from Saminaka confirmed that at about 3a.m. on Sunday, unknown assailants invaded Saminaka, attacked the divisional police station and two banks in the town.‘ Information gathered indicated the assailants destroyed the police station after which they carted away unconfirmed amount of money from First Bank and Keystone Bank, in Saminaka. ‘A police inspector was killed at the police station while three people were reported killed by the assailants during the attack,’ the BBC report said. The number of the dead and the invaders could not be clearly ascertained. However, it was said the invaders because of their strong firepower were suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect. There was, however, no group including the sect had come forward to claim responsibility as at the time of filing this report. The invaders were said to have escaped with millions of Naira from the two banks and are still at large. The Kaduna State Police Commissioner (CP) Ballah Magaji Nassarawa confirmed the incident. The CP, the Commandant of Operation Yaki Col D.G. Maman (rtd) and the other top security functionaries including the chairman of Lere Local government were immediately at Saminaka to ascertain on the spot extent of the attack. The CP in an interview with newsmen at the scene of the incident in Saminaka said the DPO’s office and the MTD were razed. He said only two victims; the police inspector and a security man in one of the banks were killed in the attack. He said the police inspector died in the inferno. Walls of the attacked First Bank building were riddled with bullet holes while the strong room of the bank was destroyed and littered with remnants of lose currency notes. The Sole Administrator of Lere Local Government, Alhaji Kabir Tahir, in a separate interview also expressed his concern, adding that because of the strong firepower of the assailants, there is a strong indication that the invaders might be members of the Boko Harram sect. Another senior source in the State Security Service (SSS) who pleaded anonymity said he could not ascertain whether the hoodlums are members of the Boko Haram sect. He said, the assailants, are suspected to be armed robbers who invaded the police station, killing the police inspector, carted away weapons, burnt down the station and used same weapon to rob the two banks, namely First Bank and Keystone Bank branches in Saminaka. The situation was, however, brought under control with Operation Yaki security outfits drafted to areas. The police however, did not give the name of the inspector who was killed in the attack. Culled from The Moment