Trouble in Kaduna

…4 killed, police station bombed, suspects freed, banks raided

Gunmen suspected to be armed bandits yesterday launched major midnight attack on Birnin Gwari town, capital of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing four persons. They equally bombed a police station and raided two banks.
Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Adenaike said his men opened fire on the bandits, and that some of the bandits must have escaped with gun wounds, adding that: “They are not ordinary bandits, they are more than 100 in number. They are very powerful, and investigation into the incident has commenced. Three police men were killed by the bandits.”
The attack took place barely 14 hours after the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Zubair Jibril raised the alarm before the state Governor, Muhktar Ramalan Yero that armed bandits had taken over the local government area, and that the entire emirate was no longer safe because of the increasing activities of the men of the underworld in recent times.
Governor Yero yesterday visited the spot of the incident and commiserated with the people, just as he promised to address the issue to ensure security.
According to an eyewitness, the suspected robbers invaded the town at about 12.30a.m yesterday, bombed the divisional police station, killed four persons, including three policemen, raided two banks, and destroyed Automated Teller Machines (ATM) of the banks. The robbers carted away cash from the vaults of the banks, just as they set free all inmates in the police cell before bombing it.
The eyewitness account added that the robbers had also developed the habit of stealing cattle each time they struck, saying that so far, over 7, 000 cows had been stolen by the bandits.
The deadly operation was said to have lasted from 12.30a.m till 2.30a.m with no resident daring to come out of the house, as sporadic shootings and sound of bomb explosions rent the air.
The Emir had on Wednesday at about 2.00p.m led traditional leaders, politicians and traders from his domain on a courtesy call to the Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero. He had told the governor that: “The armed robbers operate any time of the day, rape wives of their victims.”
In his response, Governor Yero had said that the security challenges facing Birnin Gwari Local Government Area required the collaboration of other states including Katsina and Zamfara, since they are bordering the area. He had assured that security agencies in Kaduna State were strategising on how best to tackle the armed banditry.