Nigeria are still feeling the brutal killings in Zamfara and Benue states when the news of bandits killing the Chief Imam of the Maru Jumu’at Mosque, Alkali Salihu Suleiman, along with his three children, despite receiving N11m of the N20m ransom they had demanded.
The tragic incident, which occurred two months after their abduction, has plunged the Maru community into mourning.
The late Imam and his children were abducted from Maru, the headquarters of Maru Local Government Area—a community long plagued by persistent bandit attacks.
A resident, Shehu Mani, told news men that the family had struggled to raise the ransom, managing to gather only N11m.
“After collecting the money, the bandits still held onto their victims,” Mani said. “Later, they demanded a new motorcycle and food items in place of the outstanding N9 m. Even that could not be provided. Today, we received word from another abductee who escaped that the Imam and his children have been killed.”
While the victims’ remains had not yet been recovered, funeral prayers were already being planned according to Islamic customs.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls at the time of filing this report.
In a similarly disturbing development, suspected armed invaders beheaded a farmer, Felix Suega Ukir, in Tse Orkpe village, Nanev, within the Mbawa Council Ward of Guma Local Government Area in Benue State.
The community, which had previously been displaced by armed herders, is once again living in fear.
A resident, speaking anonymously, confirmed the gruesome murder occurred on Monday.
“We found the body, but his head was missing. People are abandoning their farms again,” he said.
Former Security Adviser of Guma LGA, Christopher Waku, confirmed the incident to The PUNCH via telephone, but police spokesperson Catherine Anene stated that the command had not yet received a formal report.
As insecurity escalates across Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions—with renewed Boko Haram activity in the North-East and the emergence of a new terror group, Mahmdua, in Kwara and Niger States—Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has begun ramping up local security measures.
On Tuesday, the governor met with first-class traditional rulers to strengthen grassroots security and prevent further cross-border incursions, particularly from areas like Kainji National Park, where military operations have intensified.
“We’re adopting a multi-agency approach to enhance development and protect lives,” the governor said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye. “We urge royal fathers to rally their communities and assist security agencies with credible intelligence.”
The Vice Chairman of the State Council of Chiefs and Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi, commended the governor’s efforts.
