At least five passengers were confirmed killed and three others critically injured after bandits armed with sophisticated weapons opened fire on a vehicle passing along Yantumaki – Danmusa road in Katsina State.
An eyewitness told Channels Television that out of the eight passengers, who were all indigenes of Gobirawa and Kaigar Malamai villages in Katsina State, six of them were returning from Benin City in Edo State where they work.
Another one was coming back from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where he had gone to supply chickens. He said the vehicle left Yantumaki for Danmusa town in the early hours of Saturday.
The police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, also confirmed the incident to Channels Television on Sunday.
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“Yes, it’s true. The incident happened yesterday [Saturday] in the morning. The bandits opened fire on the vehicle in protest of the killing of one of them by a team of policemen led by the Area Commander of Danmusa after repelling their attack and recovering over 30 rustled cows.
“The passengers spent the night in Yantumaki because they arrived there in the night. In the morning, they boarded the vehicle for Danmusa town from where they would take motorcycles to their villages. The vehicle was attacked a few minutes after leaving Yantumaki”.
Danmusa Local Government Area is one of the most vulnerable areas in Katsina, sharing boundaries with the dreaded Rugu forest and areas like Safana, Kankara, and other communities in Zamfara State where bandits are very active.
