Bandits shoot council chairman’s wife, policeman, vigilante

Some suspected bandits have shot the wife of Bunza Local Council Chairman, a policeman and a member of the local vigilante at Zogirma community in Kebbi State after a botched kidnap attempt.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victims are at the intensive care unit of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birnin Kebbi.

Aliyu Usman, a resident of Zogirma community, told reporters that when the bandits came into the community, they shot sporadically and abducted the woman from her home.

“They went to the chairman’s house, but couldn’t initially gain entrance. They shot at the door several times and when they entered, they took his wife,” Usman said.

He said a policeman and a member of the vigilante group went after the bandits in an attempt to rescue the woman.

“They started shooting and they shot the woman, the policeman and a member of the vigilante group in the process,’’ he said.

When NAN correspondent visited the FMC, the Chief Medical Director, Dr Hamzat Balarabe, said the centre operated on the vigilante group member for him to survive.

Read Also: Bandits strike again, sacks Batsari village in Katsina

“We are planning to move quickly on the woman too as she has multiple fractures and a wound at the lower part of her chest,’’ he said.

The council Chairman, Alhaji Bello Zogirma, who confirmed the incident, said the suspected armed bandits invaded the community at about 1:40am on Sunday and shot sporadically to scare away residents.

“The bandits in their numbers had kidnapped my wife and a father in the family but no lives were lost during the attack.

“The kidnapped persons have regained their freedom after an exchange of fire between the bandits and the police with support from the vigilante group in the area,’’ Zogirma said.

He said: “I have learnt that immediately after the attack, a combined operation of the Army, Police and other security operatives was launched around the bush.

“And it paid off as one of the suspects that sustained gunshot injuries was arrested in one of the hospitals in Kamba where he was taken for treatment by the bandits.’’

The council chairman commended Governor Atiku Bagudu and security operatives for their quick response to the attack.

“Governor Bagudu was at the hospital early to see the three people that were injured in the attack,’’ he said.