Bandits kill one, abduct others in Katsina

Police fault abducted Qazi’s visit to unsafe village
Gunmen have killed a sexagenarian, simply identified as Alhaji Hassan, and abducted others in Batsari Local Council of Katsina State.

The gunmen reportedly stormed the area about midnight of Tuesday and into early hours yesterday.

A local, Harisu Hamza, said the gunmen abducted many people, including a woman and her child.

His words: “The gunmen also entered the home of one Ibrahim Nakarkara and abducted his wife and two children. They also abducted other people I can’t number.”

Confirming the incident, the Police Public relations Officer (PPRO), SP Gambo Isah, said: “The attack happened on Tuesday in Batsari town. They came in their hundreds because they had been trying to attack Batsari, to no avail. They came in form of reprisal. They regrouped and came into the town, but were repelled by combined operatives of police and military.

“But they killed one person, Alhaji Hassan, 65 years old. We cannot ascertain whether they abducted people or not. We are trying to ascertain that this morning.”

MEANWHILE, the police have faulted the visit of a Sharia court judge, Alhaji Hussaini Sama’ila, to a crime-prone part of the state where gunmen abducted him on Tuesday afternoon.

Sama’ila was abducted at his court in Bauren Zakat village, Safana Local Council.

It was unclear what the victim had gone there to do, as judicial workers were still on strike.

However, Isah said the judge, a Politically-Exposed Person (PEP), went to the area without a police escort, and did not request for one.

He said going to the community without security protection was uncalled for, and that such might have made the gunmen to easily organise and abduct him.

Isah said the court had been relocated to the headquarters of Safana due to security challenges.

“Why was he there when courts are on strike? Where is his police escort? Why did he not ask for security coverage, knowing well that that particular court is around the forest, hence it was relocated to Safana?

“Even if he wants to take his file, he should have asked for security coverage and police would gladly give him, considering his position in the state. Police is investigating the judge’s actions to unravel the truth,” he added.