Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed seven people in Gara and Gamji villages in Burra District of Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The bandits who came in their numbers were said to have attacked the villagers and shot sporadically into the air and in the process, killed seven people and injured many others.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Ahmed Wakili, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with journalists.

Wakili said, “Today, we woke up with a very sad news. We received a distress call that some bandits had attacked Kada and Gamji villages under Burra district of Ningi LGA. They came in large numbers, shooting sporadically, as a result, seven people were killed.

“Operatives of the command in conjunction with the Nigerian military, engaged the bandits, and three of them were neutralised in the process while others scampered in disarray into the nearby bush with possible gunshot wounds.

“One of the personnel, a soldier, was injured and rushed to the hospital where he is presently receiving treatment.”

He gave the names of those killed by the bandits as Ali Usman, Shuaibu Adamu, Yunusa Adamu, Ali Alton, Umar Sabo Ibrahim, all from Gamji village.

“Presently, our operatives in conjunction with other sister security agencies with the local vigilantes are in the bush, combing it in search of the bandits,” he added.

The Commissioner of Police, Auwal Mohammad, commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the attack praying that their souls rest in peace.

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He also directed the Area Commander to do everything possible within the law to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

A member of a Local Vigilante Group in the area who witnessed the incident but who chose to speak on the condition of anonymity, said that the bandits invaded the area on Bajaaj motorcycles, at about 9:00pm, on Tuesday, attacked and killed the innocent people.

He said that the gunmen suspected to be bandits terrorising the areas, came in three motorcycles and heavily armed. noting that “the local security could not confront them and had to take cover.”

The eyewitness further said that the bandits shot and killed the Ward Head of Gara, Mai Anguwa Ali, aged 50, along with five other people.

Among those killed were: Alhaji Ibrahim, Shuaibu Adamu (45), Yunusa Adamu (50), Umaru Sabo (25) and Ali Aldo.

Another member of the community noted that the gunmen burgled shops in the village and cartered away foodstuffs and two motorcycles.

The bandits were also said to have killed one volunteer security guard and injured one army in Gamji Village during a gun duel with soldiers.

Meanwhile, in a separate attack, the gunmen suspected to be kidnappers also stormed Yadagungume and kidnapped the wife, daughter and driver of a popular businessman in the Yadagungume area of Ningi Local Government Area, Alhaji Lawan Maliya, at about 3:00am on Tuesday.

The attack is coming barely three days after the Bauchi State Police Command announced it rescued 10 kidnap victims in Ningi LGA.

The police commissioner, while briefing journalists on Monday at the Command Headquarters, had said that two suspected kidnappers were neutralised while others escaped with bullet wounds when security operatives invaded the kidnappers’ den.