Francis Sardauna in Katsina
Two vigilante members have been killed and many others injured by gunmen suspected to be terrorists in a fresh onslaught on Shola Quarters in Katsina Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The hoodlums who invaded the quarters situated behind the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina metropolitan area in the wee hours of Sunday, abducted a newly wedded couple and other residents of the community.
A resident of the quarters, Usman Ibrahim Atiku, who confirmed the attack to THISDAY yesterday, said the vigilante members were shot dead while trying to prevent the suspected terrorists from invading the commercial quarters.
The Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, also confirmed the attack and promised to give details of the incident in a press statement, but could not as of press time.
He added that the hoodlums, armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the quarters riding on motorcycles and started shooting sporadically to scare the residents before the intervention of the local vigilante members who were later overpowered by the criminals.
According to him, “They (terrorists) came in large numbers on motorcycles and started shooting indiscriminately before the intervention of our vigilante members. Sadly, they killed two of the vigilante members, injured two others and abducted other residents including a newly wedded couple.
“The vigilante members had to retreat to their houses when the bandits overpowered them and it was just now (morning) that we retrieved the two corpses and took the wounded ones to the hospital. The attacks on Katsina metropolis are becoming rampant, the government should rescue us”.
Meanwhile, the state police command has raided a terrorists’ hideout in Danja Local Government Area of the state where they rescued six kidnap victims.
The command’s spokesman, Isah, who confirmed the development yesterday, said the command received an intelligence report about the hideout which prompted its operatives to raid the location at Unguwar Dako,Tandama village where the six people were rescued around 5.30 p.m on Saturday.
Isah said: “On Saturday 6,August,2022 at about 0530hrs, based on credible intelligence, the command raided terrorists hideouts at Unguwan Dako, Tandama village, Danja LGA and succeeded in rescuing six kidnapped victims.”
