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Katsina-Ala – The Executive Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government Council, Hon. Shaku Justine, PhD, on Saturday morning stormed the Amaafu military checkpoint along the Katsina-Ala–Zaki Biam road, barely 24 hours after suspected armed bandits launched a deadly attack on the joint security post.
The attack, which occurred on Friday evening, left several persons feared dead and many others injured, with vehicles burnt and the checkpoint temporarily overrun before reinforcement arrived.
Accompanied by some members of his cabinet and top council officials, the council boss arrived at the scene around 7 a.m. to assess the level of destruction and interact directly with surviving security operatives manning the axis.
Eyewitnesses said the chairman spent close to two hours at the scene, moving from the burnt military post to the wreckage of attacked vehicles, listening to accounts from soldiers, police officers, and civilian survivors while taking notes.
Though Hon. Shaku declined to speak extensively to journalists at the scene, sources close to him said he expressed deep anger over the brazen attack and promised that the local government will immediately mobilize relief materials, medical support, and logistics to strengthen the troops.
“He was visibly shaken by the level of damage and the stories he heard. He has directed that everything within the power of the council be done to support the security agencies so this kind of thing does not repeat itself,” a senior council official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The Amaafu axis has remained one of the flashpoints in the Sankera geopolitical zone, with frequent clashes between security forces and armed criminal gangs locally referred to as “Shilla boys” or bandits.
Residents have continued to call on Governor Hyacinth Alia and the federal government to deploy more permanent measures, including the establishment of a forward operating base, to restore confidence along the ever-busy Katsina-Ala–Zaki Biam–Wukari federal highway.
As at the time of filing this report, normalcy was gradually returning to the area, with heavily armed military and police reinforcements patrolling the road while clearance operations continue in nearby bushes.
