Residents of Garin Sambo, a community in Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi State, have foiled a kidnap attempt by suspected gunmen.
The gunmen stormed the community in the wee hours of Friday ostensibly to whisk one Idi Bobi, a bus driver away, but the inhabitants firmly stood their ground , which forced the gunmen to drop their mission despite their sporadic shootings to scare the residents.
“I was sleeping when I heard shouts and later sounds of bullets. Initially, I thought they were cattle thieves who had invaded the community because, on two previous occasions, they had stolen our cows”.
“I tried to come out but my wife held me back but I managed to free myself from her, came out and joined other villagers, and together, we faced the bandits. They were shooting at us but we were going after them until they ran into the nearby hills and bushes,” Usman Bawa, a resident of the community said.
He said the gunmen killed one Umar in the process, adding that they did not take any member of the community captive.
“We did not allow them to take anyone away but we lost one Umar, a gentleman and hard-working man in the community. They have destabilised us but we will not allow them to take anybody, here again, enough is enough,” he added.
