JUST-IN: Gunmen Kill Lawyer In Zamfara

Suspected kidnappers have killed a Zamfara State based legal practitioner, Barrister Benedict Azza, in Gusau, the State capital on Thursday.

A statement signed by the chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Gusau Branch, Junaidu Abubakar, said based on the information received by NBA, the suspected kidnappers attacked the lawyer with a view to abduct him.

“Yesterday at about 2230hrs, while I was in my house, I received three different phone calls from our colleaques informing me that B. T. Azza Esq was shot dead by unknown gunmen and his body was lying on the road side along byepass near FRSC office, Gusau.

“Immediately after receiving the information, I rushed to the scene where I met our colleagues, Abdullahi Ibrahim Esq and Ibrahim Sani Gusau Esq with much number of security personnel (police and soldiers). I saw BT Azza’s dead body lying in cold blood on the shoulders of the road. I also saw his accident vehicle (Lexus Jeep) by the road side,” he said.

According to the statement, FRSC personnel came to the scene with a body bag in which the remains of the legal practitioner was taken away by the Police to Yariman Bakura Specialists Hospital, Gusau, where it was deposited in the hospital’s morgue.

The NBA chairman alleged that the deceased, BT Azza, was shot dead by two unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers who came on a motorcycle, stressing that the gunmen wanted to kidnap Azza at his house situate at Saminaka Area, Behind Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) headquarters, byepass, Gusau, but he was able to escape, drove his vehicle and run to the road side.

He added that the gunmen, however, pursued him and shot him dead.

The statement further stated that Azza’s neighbours said they heard some gunshots in the area and after a while they also heard loud sound of a vehicle crash.

“When they came out and rushed to the scene, they saw BT opens his vehicle’s door, came out and walked with is legs to the main road where he sat down and he started bleeding and he died instantly,” the NBA chairman added.

The statement further explained that the deceased was said to have been shot three times by the unknown gunmen who, after the shootings,  took to their heels when they saw people coming to the scene.