Bandits have invaded a wedding party in Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State, killing 13 while abducting an unspecified number of people.
A resident of Kagarko, Shehu Bala, who confirmed the incident to our reporter through the telephone on Monday, said it happened around 11:47 pm on Sunday.
He said the bandits, in their large numbers, wielding A-K 47 rifles stormed the wedding venue and opened fire in the hall.
He said several people who sustained bullet injuries were rushed to Kagarko General Hospital, adding that two other victims with severe injuries were taken to Kaduna.
“In fact, there are two of my friends who were inside the hall that also sustained bullet injuries during the attack,”he said.
“But one cannot ascertain the number of those that were kidnapped because of the sporadic shootings.”
A community leader who preferred anonymity also confirmed the incident to our reporter through the telephone on Monday.
He gave the names some of those killed as Bako Danjuma, Williams Luka, Peter Williams, Joseph Yakubu, Victor Peter, John Dan Asabe, Angulu Markus, Maikano Aribi, Douglas John, Ado Yakubu, Zaphaniah Alhaji, Joseph Kaddah and Francis Unguwa Doya.
He said the bandits who operated unchallenged for nearly an hour, also invaded some shops and carted away food stuff, provisions and drugs from a chemist in the community.
The community leader, however, said those killed have been buried, even as he said a contact is yet to be established with the abductors of the victims.
“In fact, the entire people of the community were thrown into pandemonium because of the sporadic shooting by the bandits that Sunday, night to the extent some people had to flee into the bush,”the community leader said.
A police source at the Kagarko division also confirmed kidnap the incident, even as he said the police were yet to know the actual numbers of those abducted in the attack.
When contacted, Spokesperson of the Kaduna state police command, DSP Hassan Mansur, also confirmed the abduction and killings, saying the command will issue a comprehensive report on the incident later in the day.
“The command is yet to get details of the incident that happened in Kahir community, but a comprehensive report on the incident will made available after getting details of the incident,”he said.
Our reporter reliably gathered that the deputy governor of the state Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, and Senator Sani Musa (313) have visited the injured victims at the hospital in Kagarko.
Daily Trust had reported that several communities including Janjala have been under siege by bandits.
Fourteen people including a vigilante operative and his wife who were abducted in the area three weeks ago are still in captivity.
@Daily Trust
