Bad news could just have become good news! Just!
Here is how: An Inspector General of Police was sacked for his failure to
rein in Boko Haram. He fled to the UK and applied for asylum, claiming Boko Haram
may kill him should he return to Nigeria. As the British authorities were weighing
up his application, news came via Nigerian newspapers that gunmen had stormed
his hometown and had “taken over” his personal residence.
Normally, this kind of news should notch up the asylum applicant’s
chances, right? However, when the dust settled, the news that emerged defined
the gunmen as armed robbers (not Boko Haram) who came solely for one operation....
to rob the only bank in the town! Where does that place our man’s application?
Read the two news stories
Read story number two
Gunmen attack former IG Ringim’s residence
VANguard - APRIL 29, 2013 ·
By Aliyu Dangida
There was pandemonium in Ringim town, headquarters of Ringim local government
area of Jigawa state Sunday night as gunmen stormed the town and started
shooting.
An indigene of
the town who spoke to Vanguard on phone said the gunmen arrived Ringim town
around 8 pm and took over the personal residence of former Inspector General of
Police, Hafiz Ringim as well as the Divisional Police headquarters, while
people deserted their business places and entered their respective homes.
He added that
there were bomb explosions in the town. As at press time Sunday night shooting
was still going on as the residents were locked up inside their houses.
Contacted
the PPRO Jigawa State Command, ASP Abdul Jinjiri confirmed the incident but
said the police had little information to give to the press.
Three cops, two others
killed in Ringim bombing
DAILY TRUST - Tuesday, 30 April
2013
by Abdullahi Anako, Dutse
Five persons, among them three policemen, have been confirmed killed
when gunmen attacked some places in Ringim town of Jigawa State on Sunday. Some
of the places bombed included a police station and Unity Bank building.
Jigawa Deputy Commissioner of Police Muhammmed KabirMuhammed, who led
state deputy governor Ahmed Mahmud Gumel to the scene of the crime, said armed
robbers first attacked the Ringim police station where they killed three
policemen, set fire on police patrol van in front of former IG Hafiz Ringim’s
house before they proceeded to the Unity Bank building where they threw
explosives on it killing two civilian security men.
He said the former IG’s house was not torched.
The police boss said the robbers could not cart away money before the
arrival of reinforcement of policemen and soldiers who battled them for hours
before they succeeded in chasing them away.
An army vehicle inspected by the deputy governor was also riddled with
bullets by the robbers.
No official of the bank was available for comment as the bank was
totally cordoned off with anti-bomb squad combing the area.
At the palace of Emir of Ringim AlhajiSayyadi Mahmud Abubakar, the
deputy governor commiserated with the Emir over the incident and promised that
government will leave no stone unturned to unravel the perpetrators.
“Jigawa is a peaceful state and we have been living in peace. This
incident is very shocking. The government has been doing its best in terms of
justice and fairness which is responsible for the peace we are enjoying in the
state.
“This is the second time such kind of armed robbery attack is taking
place in Jigawa. The first was last year in Gwaram and now Ringim. We pray this
is the last time. We are calling for prayers but surely government will address
this issue with all the urgency it requires”, he said.
The Emir of Ringim, in his response, thanked the governor for the visit
and security agents for their effort.
“On behalf of myself and my council, I wish to thank the Deputy
Governor and his team for the prompt response they gave the incident. I must
also commend the police, especially the DPO who crossed the fence and
instructed the over 500 Islammiyya students to lie down on the floor.
“Only God knows what would have happened because the Islamiyya is close
to the police station. It was the DPO who later helped to evacuate the kids. I
have never seen this type of attack in my life. I call on everyone to continue
to pray for peace because it is only prayer that can save us”, he said.
