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Gunmen kill two, abduct four customs officers in Katsina

By Danjuma Michael, Katsina
08 January 2020   |   2:19 pm
Unknown gunmen on Tuesday night shot and killed two teenagers at Magama Jibiya village in Jibia local government area of Katsina state. The incident occurred at about 10.15 pm resulted in several people sustaining injuries- one of the victims currently hospitalised at the General Hospital in Jibia. Similarly, unknown gunmen on Wednesday morning reportedly kidnapped…

Unknown gunmen on Tuesday night shot and killed two teenagers at Magama Jibiya village in Jibia local government area of Katsina state.

The incident occurred at about 10.15 pm resulted in several people sustaining injuries- one of the victims currently hospitalised at the General Hospital in Jibia.

Similarly, unknown gunmen on Wednesday morning reportedly kidnapped dozens of people plying Jibia-Batsari road, with four customs officials feared to be among those abducted.

The Manama Jibiya village incident, according to a source living in the area, occurred when a group of gunmen riding on motorcycles, were sighted outskirts of the community on Tuesday morning.

He said the gunmen later attacked the community but were faced with stiff resistance from the community members, which led to two teenagers being shot and several others sustaining injuries.

“When the gunmen came to the area on Tuesday morning, they left their motorcycles outside the community and trekked into Magama Jibia, with their weapons strapped to their shoulders.

“They moved around and later left to where they had parked their motorcycles. It was later in the night, at about 10.15 pm that they stormed the community from every side, shooting sporadically into the air.

“They succeeded in raiding some houses, but some of the residents decided to take the law into their hands and came out with sticks, matchets, and other weapons to resist the gunmen.

“It was while the resident were making their stand against the gunmen that the gunmen shot at them, which led to the death of two young boys with several others injured.

“One of the injured victims is currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Jibia,” he added.

A source in the area told The Guardian that about 30 persons were abducted by the unknown gunmen, even as there were speculations about the actual number of customs officials abducted.

The incident marks the first time customs officials were abducted by armed men, despite security beef-up along the road where the incident took place.

The spokesman for the police command in the state, SP Gambo Isah was yet to respond to inquiries made about both incidents at the time of filing this report.

But a customs official, who pleaded anonymity, however, said that the state command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is aware of the abduction of the customs officials.

“We are aware of the incident and the matter is being looked into. Since its something that just occured, there is need for us to look into the matter, and later make our investigation public, if necessary.

He, however, declined to give the actual number of customs officials that were abducted by the gunmen.

The public relations officer for the NCS in the state, Theophilus Duniya, when contacted, said he was on leave and was not able to discuss on any official matter.

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