Three days after Bauchi State Police Command announced it rescued 10 kidnap victims in Ningi LGA, gunmen on Wednesday attacked and killed seven people including a community leader in Gara village of Kurmi ward in the area.
A member of the vigilante group in the area who witnessed the incident, anonymously confirmed to this medium that the bandits invaded the area on one motorcycle, a Bajaj boxer at about 9:00pm, Tuesday where they attacked and killed the innocent people.
He said that the gunmen suspected to be the kidnappers terrorising the areas, came in three numbers on the motorcycle with heavy guns which the local security could not confront them against, but had to take cover.
The eyewitness further said that the bandits shot and killed the ward head of Gara, Mai Anguwa Ali aged 50 along with five other people.
Others who lost their lives included Alh Ibrahim; Shuaibu Adamu, 45; Yunusa Adamu, 50; Umaru Sabo, 25; and Ali Aldo.
Another member of the community noted that the gunmen burgled shops in the village and cartered away foodstuff and two motorcycles.
The bandits were also said to have killed one volunteer security guard and injured one soldier in Gamji village during a gun duel with soldiers.
In a separate attack, the gunmen suspected to be kidnappers also stormed Yadagungume and kidnapped the wife, daughter and driver of Alh Lawan Maliya, a popular businessman in Yadagungume area of Ningi Local Government Area in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The issue of kidnapping and killing of innocent people has become almost a daily affair in the area, as kidnappers had recently stormed Anguwar Madaki, Kwajale and Balele in Kurmi wards were they kidnaped two people and injured many.
The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the attack through its Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ahmed Wakili, who spoke to our correspondent vide phone facility late Wednesday evening.
He said: “Today, we woke up with very sad news. First of all, the command is to commiserate with the families of those who lost their lives in the attack, may their souls rest in peace”, adding “We received a distress call that some bandits had attacked Kada and Gamji villages under Burra district of Ningi LGA. They came in large numbers, shooting sporadically, as a result, seven people were killed.”
The PPRO further explained “The operatives of the Command in conjunction with the Nigerian Military, engaged the bandits, three of them were neutralized in the process while others scampered in disarray into the nearby bush with possible gun wounds.
“One of the personnel, a Soldierman was injured and rushed to the hospital where he is presently receiving treatment.”
“Those that were killed by the bandits included: Ali Usman, Shuaibu Adamu, Yunusa Adamu, Ali Alton, Umar Sabo Ibrahim, all from Gamji village.”
“Presently, our operatives in conjunction with other sister security agencies with the local vigilantes are in the bush, cordoned it off in search of the bandits,” he added.
Wakili said that the Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa Mohammad had directed the Area Commander to do everything humanly possible within the armbit of the law to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act, saying, “Discreet investigation is presently on-going.”
