Not fewer than seventeen persons have been reportedly killed on Tuesday in an attack launched by armed bandits on two villages of Gobirawa and Sabawa in Safana local government area of Katsina State. A lawmaker representing Safana Constituency at the state House of Assembly, Abduljalal Haruna Runka while confirming the incidence put the number of persons killed at 17, adding that it is still verifying. According to him, “They entered the villages yesterday (Tuesday) killed people and burnt down houses and shops. As at now we have 17 corpses on the ground and we are still verifying.
“The bandits started their dastardly acts in Gobirawa village where most of the victims were killed and later moved to Sabawa in the early hours of Wednesday, where many women and children were left missing. “Last Friday, they entered another village call Ilela and killed two children. “I am appealing to the Federal Government to come to our aid. What the bandits are doing in Zamfara is what they are doing in some part of Katsina. I have forwarded complains where necessary. Even yesterday I moved a motion on the issue at the state Assembly. It is necessary for federal government to focus its attention in Katsina state.
“Measures taken by Federal Government to tackle the menace in Zamfara state should be extended to Katsina in order to end the menace,” Runka said. Meanwhile, the Spokesperson of Katsina State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah initially put the number of persons killed at 10 and later in the day said three additional bodies were found from the attack. SP Isah said the group of bandits operating on over 150 motorcycles invaded the two villages of Gobirawa and Sabawa, killed the persons, touched unspecified number of houses and rustled animals. “Yesterday (Tuesday) 30/04/2019 at about 18:10hrs, group of bandits operating on over 150 motorcycles, attacked Gobirawa and Sabawa villages of Safana LGA of Katsina state killing ten persons, touched unspecified number of houses and rustled animals.
“Police patrol teams were dispatched to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in gun duel and chased them out of the villages. One motorcycle Bajaj was recovered from the bandits. “Those killed were 1. Umar Danbaba 2. Amadu Danliti 3. Mamuda Tinau 4.Saidu Yaro 5. Abubakar Nabau 6. Yakubu Danmagin 7. Abubakar Habule all of Gobirawa village Haro Mai Awo, Audu Bagobiri and Surajo Joni. Investigation is ongoing.
“The Command commiserate with the families of the deceased persons and the entire peace loving people of Katsina state. It will do every thing possible to bring perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice and bringing to an end the activities of these rascals,” SP Isah assured. Information gathered from the area (Safana LG) reveals that in five days, three villages of Ilela (2 persons killed in the Friday attack), Guzurawa (2 persons killed in the Sunday attack) and now Gobirawa (17 persons killed), all in Safana local government area. It was also reliably gathered that at about 10am on Wednesday corpses of the deceased persons were being prepared for burial according to Islamic rites. Similarly, it was reliably gathered that several persons were relocating from the areas for fear of attacks to place perceived to be safe.
Source: Vanguard
