Gunmen Kill 4, Injure 3 in Bauchi

Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Thursday launched an attack on the Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi state and killed four people, leaving three others injured.

Reports say Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed hails from Alkaleri LGA.

Local sources including vigilantes explained that when the suspected bandits attacked Tudun Wadan Jada, to abduct residents, an alarm was raised.

The youths from the village and surrounding villages were said to have immediately mobilized themselves and resisted them, which stopped from being able to abduct people.

But the suspected bandits, seeing that their mission had failed, then opened fire on the large number of the youths that resisted them and killed four of them while three sustained varying degrees of injuries.

A resident of the area who preferred anonymity, told journalists, “The attackers arrived in the community around 11:45pm on Thursday.”

“They came on motorcycles and when people raised the alarm they started shooting sporadically and fled to the bush. Unfortunately, four people were killed in the process.”

He said those injured were rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Gombe State which borders Bauchi.

Another source said that men of the Nigeria Police Force and Nigerian Army have visited the affected communities, calmed them down and assured them of the protection of their lives and properties.

Chairman of the LGA, Yusuf Garba, also confirmed the incident to journalists in Bauchi on Friday, saying that the bandits stormed New Tudun Wadan Jada, with the intention of abducting the hamlet head but when people raised alarm, they abandoned their mission and fled.

He said the gunmen attacked the area through the largest border forest with Taraba, Gombe and Plateau States, adding that security operatives are on their trail.

Mr Garba said a security council meeting with the State security chiefs and the Secretary to the State Government has been held to discuss the matter while security operatives have been deployed to the area.

Punch/Maxwell Oyekunle