Gonin Gora Protestors Pelt the Security Commissioner with stones to protest lack of military protection
By Truth Nigeria Staff
(Kaduna) The city of Gonin Gora, 8 miles south of Kaduna City, grieves for two citizen guard heroes who died repelling a terrorist attack Wednesday night during a power outage. A platoon of 15 guards armed with pipe guns confronted a terrorist band of 60 carrying assault rifles, sledgehammers and a list of targets around 10:00 p.m. according to John Dogo, a local civilian guard leader.
Citizen guards are the first line of defense in embattled rural settlements in the war-ravaged nation of Nigeria. Police and military units often arrive too late to help victims, as happened in Gonin Gora, according to multiple witnesses.
The terrorists took advantage of the power outage that began around 10 p.m. and proceeded to find the residences of the more affluent citizens, according to TruthNigeria sources in the town of 20,000. The criminals warned their first victims to stay quiet or be slashed on the spot, but by 11 p.m. the whole town was in panic. Despite a fierce gun duel between terrorists and local vigilantes in the neighborhoods of New Nigeria and Angwan Auta areas of Gonin Gora, two civilian guards lost their lives, and 14 persons were abducted. According to witnesses, policemen at a small checkpoint retreated from the city as soon as they saw the assault force of terrorists. Residents assumed the police notified a platoon of soldiers at am army camp one mile away.
Gonin Gora is a sprawling, working-class settlement of 20,000 straddling the Abuja-Kaduna highway and a city within the Chikun County (Local Governance Area) that has suffered dozens of kidnappings in recent years by gangs loyal to terrorist kingpin Dogo Gide.
The stealthy terrorists sneaked into two communities called Angwan Auta and new Nigeria, assisted by local residents helping them in the black night and went from door to door abducting families, some of whom have been identified.
After 30 minutes of exchanging fire the 15 vigilantes repelled the terrorists and pursued them west of the highway to the nearby forest which connects to another big settlement called Kudenda in the Northwest of the State.
“As we pursued them into the forest, heavy gunshots from submachine guns greeted us inside the forest, but we were able to rescue four persons, including a baby,” said guard leader John Dogo to TruthNigeria.
“While most of us were armed with locally made pipe guns, the terrorists had automatic rifles, machine guns and AK 49’s, Dogo said.
“We ran into ambush in the forest, one of us was killed and the other sustained injuries,” Dogo said.
“The terrorists came in at about 10 pm and they went from house to house based on a prearranged list. They also had hammers with them which they used in in pulling outdoors, guard volunteer Baba Genom told Truthnigeria.
“The whole attack lasted for about four hours,” Genom said.
“The terrorists were surprised by the resistance they encountered and fled with those they abducted,” a local guard said.
Army Strike Force Camp in Gonin Gora Faulted for Late Arrival
Residents were infuriated that despite the proximity of an Army Strike Force camp for 25 soldiers one mile from the attack site, Nigerian Army personnel did not respond to distress calls during the attack.
“The attack started by 10 pm and lasted till 2 am, yet the Army did not show up till 2:30 a.m. or thereabout, and even at that , they refused to pursue the terrorists. Dogo said
State Security Commissioner Contradicts Narrative of Eyewitnesses
However, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna state commissioner for internal security and home affairs gave an alternate account.
In an exclusive chat with Truthnigeria reporter, Aruwan claimed that the military responded promptly .
“Immediately, the military was alerted, it responded, engaged the terrorists and rescued about three or four of those kidnapped
“As we speak the Army and the rest of the military are in hot pursuit of the bandits , he added.
The commissioner further assured Gonin Gora community of their safety .
Aruwan said he came to Gorin Gona with the mission of reopening the Abuja Kaduna express way which was blocked by protestors.
Nigeria Military Threatens to Shoot Protestors
Angered by the slow response of the military, Gonin Gora citizens of all ages mustered a protest of more than 200 people, blocking traffic on the Abuja Kaduna expressway to demonstrate their contempt for the military.
In response, the Nigerian military rushed more 15 Armored Personnel Cars, and truckloads of soldiers with mounted machine guns to the scene of the protest .
At the Federal Housing Estate Junctions, some protestors were beaten by the soldiers, who then removed stone obstacles on the highway.
“What happened next was that the soldiers started shooting 30 cannisters of tear gas directly into the crowd and the youths responded by pelting the soldiers,” Dogo said.
“When the teargas failed to disperse the crowd, the soldiers started firing heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns into the air,” Dogo said. “At some point, they aimed the guns directly at the crowd, Dogo added.
“We heard a soldier warn the commanding officer that press was observing the demonstration, after which they pointed the guns toward the horizon and continued firing,” according to a TruthNigeria staffer on the scene.
Security Commissioner Chased Away from Gonin Gora
The confrontation between the troops and Gonin Gora residents continued till until Commissioner Samuel Aruwan left for the palace of the Chief of Gonin Gora.
Aruwan and his heavily armed entourage of seven armed jeeps plus thirty soldiers proceeded to the palace of Sagbagi (the traditional Chief of Gwari), but a crowd of 200 men and women gathered close to his convoy of black SUV’s, shouting “Go away , Go away , Your soldiers are shooting at us instead of killing Kidnappers.”
Unable to control the crowd who were also pelting the commissioner with stones, Aruwan beat a hasty retreat while his soldiers fired teargas cannisters to cover his retreat
Residents say that they have received warnings that the terrorists may attack Gonin Gora again this week, but several told TruthNigeria they are not putting their trust in the military for protection.
