BY GODWIN OBI
No fewer than 11 persons, mostly elderly women have been abducted by gunmen at Shinfida Village in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
They were abducted on their way to join other residents who earlier ran to a refugee camp for safety after their village came under attack by a group of gunmen suspected to be bandits.
Sources told our reporter in a telephone interview on Saturday that the assailants invaded the village last night.
According to him, those kidnapped virtually lack the capacity to leave at the time most residents fled to safety due to their physical strength and some health conditions.
He recounted that having carried out the invasion on Friday night, the assailants planned to set the entire village of Shinfida on fire at about 7am on Saturday.
The source called on the relevant authorities to come to the aid of the people, including sending security personnel to the village to protect the residents and salvage what could be left of their properties.
On Friday, Frontline Reporters had reported that seven children were killed, and several others injured in a stampede while residents fled Shinfida village following an attack by bandits.
Although the police authorities in Katsina have yet to confirm the incident, a resident of the area Abdulrazak Ahmad said the attack occurred on Thursday.
He blamed the incident on the evacuation and withdrawal of soldiers serving in a joint security task force from the area.
Ahmad said the withdrawn soldiers were initially stationed at the Government Secondary School in Shinfida – about 27 kilometres from Jibia town.
Bandits have attacked several communities in Katsina recently, one of which claimed the lives of two security personnel in Jibia Local Government Area.
Frontline Reporters had reported the killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Jibia, Abdulkarim Rano, during a gunfight in February.
Although the casualty on the part of the gunmen could not be ascertained at the time, residents said a soldier was also killed and another injured.
-12 Killed In Ilorin-Ogbomoso Road Accident
In another development, 12 persons have been killed in a crash that occurred on Ilorin-Ogbomoso road.
The crash occurred on Saturday morning at Ote express road leaving six other persons injured.
The Kwara Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) who confirmed the incident said the crash was because of Route Violation (RV) Speed Limit Violation (SPV) and Loss of Control (LOC).
The sector commander said the crash involved a white commercial Toyota Hummer Bus without a registration number and a white commercial Volvo Trailer also without a registration number.
“This morning we were informed of the unfortunate crash which occurred on the Ilorin-Ogbomoso expressway at a location called Ote.
“It was a fatal crash which happened at about 6:20 am, 18 persons were involved, six sustained various degree of burns and sadly 12 of them lost their lives and were burnt beyond recognition,” Owoade said.
He added that the injured victims and the corpses have been taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
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