Suspected gunmen yet-to-be identified have killed one person and kidnapped four others in Ningi local government area of Bauchi State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that among the victims were two village heads Balma and Mai Anguwan Bakutunbe commucommunities
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen stormed the two villages in two separate incidents that occurred within few hours interval between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
Reports indicated that the gunmen stormed and attacked the two villages where they kidnapped the traditional rulers of the villages and shot one person dead.
A resident of Balma town, who pleaded anonymity, revealed that the heavily armed gunmen stormed their community shooting sporadically at about 1100hrs on Sunday, forcing residents to scamper for safety.
He said that the armed men went directly to the village head’s house and whisked him away.
He said the gunmen also killed one Alhaji Haruna Dan OC, who was certified dead by a medical doctor at Ningi General Hospital.
Similarly, the gunmen stormed and kidnapped the village head of Bakutunbe community, Idris Mai Unguwa, and another man named Ya’u Gandu Maliya.[
The kidnappers have already demanded for the sum of N8m each as a ransom to release the kidnap victims.
In a related development, two men from Ware-Ware and Yelwa communities were kidnapped in same Ningi local government.
When contacted him, the acting Chairman of Ningi Local Government Area, Hon. Ibrahim Zubairu, confirmed the incident and confirmed that the traditional ruler of Balma was sitting with people in his palace in Balma when the three kidnappers came to the palace and took him away.
Zubairu added that he was assured that the kidnappers went to the town in a car with which they took the village head away.
He said that one of the victims, Alh Haruna Dan OC, came back on his motorcycle and was going to enter his house when the kidnappers saw him and shot him dead.
The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the incidents through its Spokesperson, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil.
“The Command received a report from the Balma outstation in Ningi LGA that some unknown gunmen stormed the village shooting sporadically and took away the village head, one Alh Hussaini Saleh who is 48 years old to an unknown destination.”
“One Haruna Jibrin was shot on the head by the gunmen. When the Police received the distress call, a team of Policemen were drafted to the scene and rescued the victim and took him to the General Hospital, Ningi where he is currently receiving treatment.
“But I learnt that some are saying that, unconfirmed though, whether he is dead or alive. I will still get back to you after clearing with the DPO, I was trying to get across to him to get the fact of the story since he not told me that the victim has died or not, I cannot confirm that to you,” the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) stated.
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