By John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Kaduna state police command said on Wednesday that six people, including four aides of the emir of Potiskum, Alhaji Umar Bubaram, were killed by gunmen along the Kaduna-Zaria highway.
Five people were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries, while unspecified number of people were said to have been abducted by the bandits.
In a statement, spokesman of the command, Yakubu Sabo, said the hoodlums who were in large number and dressed in military camouflage, intercepted some commuters at the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, along Kaduna-Zaria Expressway, and on sighting the escort of the traditional ruler, started shooting indiscriminately at commuters and took some yet to be identified persons to unknown destination.
The statement said: “On 14/1/2020 the Kaduna State Police Command received information through DPO Maraban Jos (along Kaduna-Zaria road) that at about 2245hrs, he got a distress call from a good Samaritan that, some unknown Armed Men in large number dressed in military camouflage intercepted some commuters at the outskirt of Kaduna Metro along Kaduna-Zaria Expressway and on sighting the escort vehicle of the Emir of Potiskum Alhaji Umar Bubaram, the hoodlums started shooting indiscriminately at the commuters and took some yet to be identified persons to unknown destination.
“Upon receipt of the information, the Command immediately mobilized teams of operatives with Armored Personnel Carriers to the scene where some victims of the attack were rescued to safety but sadly six (6) persons including four aides of the emir were reported dead while Five (5) others sustained varying degree of injuries.
“Both the dead and injured victims were recovered to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital for deposition and treatment.”
Sabo said the Kaduna state police commissioner, Mr. Umar M. Muri, has directed the deployment of more Police operatives along the Kaduna-Zaria road axis to reinforce the existing operational units of SARS Anti-Kidnapping and PMF personnel currently on the operation.
He added that the police commissioner has also alerted intelligence gathering units in the area to redouble their effort to ensure that those abducted by the bandits are rescued unhurt and the culprits are brought to book.
“The CP also visited both the scene of the incident and the injured persons including the emir at Barau Dikko Hospital with a view to fortifying security deployment along the axis and to assure the victims of the police current efforts on the incident” Sabo said.
The statement assured that the command was doing everything possible to rescue victims of the unfortunate incident and called on members of the public to continue to support the command with relevant information that could help the police to fish out criminals in their midst.
