By Lawal Adenike
Armed bandits on Tuesday evening killed 13 people, wounded eight and abducted 17 others in an attack on communities in Batsari Local Government Area of Kastina State.
According to Daily Trust, the attack saw dozens of houses and vehicles set ablaze. The gunmen reportedly stormed the affected communities, riding on motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons.
Confirming the development, the police spokesperson in the state, Gambo Isa said the bandits came in large numbers around 7:15 p.m and killed 11 people but residents of the town said the number has risen to 13.
“They came when some people were still in the mosque for the evening prayers. They came in large numbers and started shooting sporadically. 11 people were killed while eight were wounded in the attack,” he said.
“The Commissioner of Police, Katsina state Command, has deployed Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of operations, with additional units of PMF personnel to the area to beef up security and restore confidence on the affected communities.”
Jabir Yau Yau, the lawmaker representing Batsari in the State House of Assembly, also confirmed the attack. He, however, promised to contact the press when he has the actual figures of fatalities.
Premium Times also reported that a resident of the attacked community, identified as Abubakir Bushir, disclosed that the remains of the 13 victims were buried at the Batsari graveyard around 10:00am on Wednesday.
He was quoted as saying, “The bandits killed 13 people and we buried them today before I left for Katsina.”
