Bandits Kill Eight as Villagers Barricade Katsina-Funtua Highway

Francis Sardauna

Angry villagers in Yantumaki community of Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State on Monday barricaded Katsina-Funtua highway over bandits’ attack on Amarawa and other villagers in Matazu and Musawa councils that claimed eights lives.

It was gathered that most of the protesters were those displaced from their ancestral homes by the hoodlums across the three affected local governments, currently taking refuge in Yantumaki town.

THISDAY further gathered that the barricade forced hundreds of travellers, who were going to Funtua, Kaduna, Abuja, Sokoto and Gusau to turn back and waited at Dutsin-ma until security operatives later cleared the highway.

One of the protesters, Ibrahim Nura, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that: “On Saturday midnight, bandits attacked Dagul village in Matazu, where they killed four people including the village head, Malam Rabi’u Matazu.

“They cart away several household items, and also set many homes on fire and went away with scores of cows and other domestic animals. Also, on Saturday night, bandits attacked Ilali in Matazu, where they ransacked several homes and carted away household valuables including foodstuff and money.

“They entered the home of one of the residents, but he managed to hide inside the ceiling of the house. The bandits searched for him and when they couldn’t find him, they set the room in which he was hiding on fire. They killed one person and broke into several shops where they carted away valuables and undisclosed amount of cash.”

On his part, Kabir Kamilu, disclosed that several communities were attacked in Musawa on Saturday, where at least two persons and one bandit were killed.

He said: “On Friday night at about 8.5pm, bandits attacked several communities in Musawa where they killed one person and operated for more than an hour. The bandits also set several homes ablaze and rustled an unspecified number of domestic animals.

“But at Gidan Mamman Dangata, the bandits met stiff resistance from vigilantes and other residents, where gunfire exchange ensued. During the exchange, one of the residents was shot and he died minutes later, while several sustained injuries.

Spokesman for the Katsina police command, SP Gambo Isah, said security operatives were on top of the situation.

“We woke up this morning with a report of protest by some youths at Yantumaki area,because of bandits’ attack at Amarawa village where two villagers were killed by the hoodlums.

“The Command in collaboration with military and other security agencies are on top of the situation as personnel and equipment are additionally deployed to deal with the recalcitrant bandits hibernating in the area.

“The Command is calling for calm and urges members of the communities around the area to join hands with security agencies in the ongoing onslaught against the hoodlums,” he said.