Tragedy struck in Kukar Babangida village of Katsina State on Sunday as terrorists killed eight local traders returning from the Jibia weekly market.
It was also learnt that the assailants kidnapped two more people and seriously injured four passengers after they opened fire on the van carrying the traders.
A resident who spoke to the press anonymously confirmed that those injured, Bilyaminu, Malam Jafaru, Lawal Dadi, and Dan Husuma, are being treated in a local hospital.
“They were returning from Jibia market to Yan Gayya (a village not far from the Katsina metropolis) when all of a sudden the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. The driver was shot dead which forced the vehicle down the road. The terrorists only abducted those who were not wounded. They left without taking anything,” the source said.
He also identified the victims that were killed as Sani Na Gogara, Yusuf Karamin su, Sale Lami, Dan Hameme, Malam Shafi’i, Malam Dikke and Bashir Sani and noted that they have been buried according to Islamic rites.
Also, the source said one Alhaji Abdurrashid and Abdu Teacher were abducted.
Jibia, a local government in Katsina State that shares a border with Niger Republic, is one of the worst hit areas by terrorism in the state.
Communities like Yan Gayya, Kukar Babangida, Bugaje and others in the area were on several occasions attacked by the terrorists.
A security official in Katsina State, who also sought anonymity, stated that the terrorists may have been fleeing a military offensive in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
“Our people (soldiers) have been making life difficult for terrorists in these states. Expectedly, these terrorists are now fleeing the offensive and we’ve gathered some of them are running to as far as Niger Republic from Zurmi and Sokoto States,” the official said.
The police spokesperson in Katsina State, Abubakar Sadik, confirmed the attack on the traders and said the command has deployed measures to prevent a reoccurrence.
“Yes, it is true. The command has since deployed measures to prevent reoccurrence and has detailed its operational assets to track down and arrest the perpetrators.
“The CP (police commissioner) condoles with the family, friends and loved ones of those affected by the incident,” Mr Sadik said in a statement made available to the press.
The North-west subregion, especially Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and a part of Niger State, has witnessed a high rate of attacks by terrorists, locally called bandits, for about a decade.
The terrorists kill and abduct residents from communities, schools, places of worship and highways and demand huge ransom before releasing the abductees.