Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
Police in Zamfara State have confirmed the killing of 23 persons in Tunga and Kabaje villages, Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State by suspected bandits in the early hours of yesterday.
Armed men suspected to be Fulani herders on Monday night also killed a family of six in Nakai village of Ganawuri district of Riyom LGA of Plateau State.
Confirming the Zamfara incident to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau, the state capital, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mohammed Shehu, said “it is true that the bandits killed 23 persons in the attack.
“At the moment, peace has been restored in the affected areas and a combined team of mobile and regular police, the army and air force are on surveillance in the area.”
Earlier, the Chairman of Kaura-Namoda LGA, Alhaji Lawal Isa, had told NAN that bandits numbering over 100 riding on motorcycles, invaded two communities in the early hours of yesterday when residents were going to their farms.
He said that the bandits may have come for reprisal following the killing of one of their suspected informants whose name he gave as simply Anas.
The chairman said that unknowingly to Anas, he was trailed by local vigilante members when he picked a wife and child of a suspected bandit at Angwan Sarki village to take them to the man in the bush on his motorcycle.
“The vigilante members blocked the rider and killed all three instantly on Monday and at about 5 a.m. the following morning, the gang invaded the villages and killed the victims,” he said.
He said all the villagers killed had been buried in the two villages according to Islamic rites.
Isa appealed to security agencies to consider going to the identified hideouts of the bandits, especially at Gidan na Zumbure village “which now harbours the bandits and serve as their base for launching attacks.’’
In a related development, a family of six was on Monday night killed by armed men suspected to be Fulani herders in Nakai village of Ganawuri district of Riyom LGA of Plateau State.
This was disclosed to journalists yesterday by the suspended state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Damishi Sango, and confirmed by the state Police Command
The Youth Leader of the area, Gyang Boyi, who also confirmed the killing, said that they identified the killers to be Fulani because they were speaking Fulfulde language, which is the language of the Fulani.
Boyi added that immediately the killers attacked, five people died on the spot while the sixth one, who was seriously wounded was rushed to the hospital but died there later.
According to the Police statement issued yesterday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Matthias Terna Tyopev, “On the 28/05/2019 at about 0600 hours, one Dalyop Boyi, the Youth Leader of Nakai Danwal village in Riyom LGA of Plateau State reported to the Plateau State Police Command that at about 1900 hours, unknown gunmen attacked the house of Gyang Dachung of Nakai Danwal village, as a result, six persons lost their lives.
“The command mobilised to the village, the photographs of the corpses were taken and released to the relatives on demand and they were buried according to their traditional rites.
“The Deputy Commissioner of Police Department of Operations, Plateau State Command, Jos visited the scene. The police patrol of the area is being intensified in order to discourage any reprisal.
“The command is soliciting for credible information to track and arrest the perpetrator(s) to face Justice.”
