24 killed in Bauchi, Borno, Kano

Bauchi—No fewer than 24 people were killed in Bauchi, Borno and Kano States within Sunday and yesterday following different forms of crises that rocked the areas.

About 10 people were killed in Bauchi when villagers and security personnel tried to prevent suspected armed robbers from dispossessing innocent individuals of their property, while three persons were killed in an early morning bomb blasts that rocked Kano State yesterday.

Eleven others were killed in Borno when members of the Joint Task Force, JTF, clashed with suspected terrorists in Maiduguri, the state capital.

In Bauchi, several people including two security men, some robbery suspects and villagers lost their lives during an exchange of gunfire with four suspected armed robbers in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area of the state.

Five arrested

This was even as a renowned armed robbers’ hunter, Alhaji Ali Kwara, arrested five other robbery suspects and recovered three AK 47 rifles from them in Azare.

In Kano State, police authorities said three persons sustained injury when a time bomb planted by unknown persons went off at the Plaza/Kwari Market Junction during the early morning rush hour.

The source said: “What appeared like a low calibre time bomb went off at the city centre during the morning rush hour, leaving a police officer, a Hisbah guard and a local traffic officer, among others, seriously injured.”


11 in Maiduguri

In Maiduguri, violence was said to have broken out resulting in the death 11 people at 9am yesterday, when two people suspected to be terrorists were shot dead while three others were arrested by men of JTF at the main entrance of the Musa Usman Civil Service Secretariat amid multiple explosions at the Gwange Ward.

Mr. Inuwa Usman, a resident of the area said nobody died during the Gwange explosions, but that an ANPP Councilor, Abatcha Gajigana was shot dead in his residence in the area, just as two classroom teachers were killed in their classrooms.

The school proprietor, Kofi Amag said he would close the institution following the attack.

In Bauchi

In Bauchi, the actual number of casualties was not clear. But residents put the number between 10 and 12 including two security men, six civilians and four suspected armed robbers, even as several others were injured.

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “10 people were killed and a funeral prayer of three civilians was held at the Azare Central Mosque after the Magrib Prayer.

“But the dead bodies of the two security personnel and four armed robbers killed by security men were not brought to the mosque.”

Commissioner speaks

In his account of the incident Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ladan explained that the four armed men that attacked the Seeds Market were killed by security personnel.

Ladan said the incident started when some gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers, attacked the market in Azare at 12:30pm, and robbed some people of their belongings.

He said the attackers were about to escape when some good Samaritans alerted security agencies, prompting a hot chase by a combined team of security men and some indigenes of Azare.

He said: “Both the Police, Army and Azare community pursued them. There was serious exchange of fire and in the process all the four armed robbers were killed.

“Some security personnel sustained injuries, but I do not have the details of the casualties on the part of the security personnel. We will get the actual details after investigation.”