Residents flee as bandits kill one in Katsina

One person was killed in the wee hours of yesterday morning, following an attack by bandits in Wagani Village, in Batsari Council Area of Katsina State.

The incident also saw three residents injured, while the village was said to have virtually become a ghost town, following the attack.

It was learnt that the bandits stormed the community Friday midnight on a reprisal attack, as some of the villagers were said to have ‘betrayed’ the bandits by their recent action.

The bandits, who operated without hindrance, were said to have attacked the community in their numbers, shooting sporadically, while setting houses and vehicles on fire.

The incident came on the heels of reported cases of banditry and kidnappings in some parts of the state, especially communities sharing border with the dreaded Rugu forest.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah confirmed the incident.

Similarly, no fewer than three persons were killed during an attack on Bauchi communities, when some youths in Gudum area of Bauchi Local Government had misunderstanding among themselves, which resulted in bloody clashes between youths from Gudum Sayawa and Gudum Hausawa communities.

A statement released by the Secretary to the State Government, Muhammad Umar, said the government had, however, declared a “dusk to dawn curfew with immediate effect from 6:00pm to 6:00am until further notice in Gudum Fulani, Gudum Hausawa, Gudum Sayawa and Bigi.

Normalcy has since returned to the affected areas, following police intervention. 

The Police Public Relations Officer of Bauchi Command, Abubakar Kamal Datti, said adequate security personnel had been deployed to the areas to protect lives and property, while investigation was ongoing.