Anthony Iwuoma
Suspected bandits have sustained their bloody campaign in Kaduna and Katsina states, killing no fewer than 36 persons in the latest attack.
It was reported that gunmen killed 17 persons in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, LGA, of southern Kaduna state, while 19 villagers were also killed when vigilantes and terrorists clashed in Kankara communities, Katsina State. 15 other persons were also injured in the attack.
The Southern Kaduna attack was executed by many gunmen, who invaded Zangon Kataf, one of the LGAs that has for long experienced incessant killings as a result of multiple complex situations, including ethno-religious and herder-farmer conflicts.
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Jonathan Asake, the Labour Party, LP, candidate in Saturday’s gubernatorial and state assemblies elections, hails from the area.
Following the killing, the Zangon Kataf LGA administration imposed a 24-hour curfew, which according to the media aide to the LGA Chairman, Yabo Ephraim, would enable the army to restore peace and order in the affected areas.
Muhammad Jalige, spokesman of Kaduna State Police Command, confirmed the attack, saying: “From the briefing I received from the Area Commander, trouble started a couple of days ago, when a boy rearing cattle was murdered. We have been trying to manage the situation while investigating the sad occurrence before trouble broke out.
“A joint security team will be combing the bushes in the area Sunday afternoon (yesterday) to search for bodies if there are any. They will also apprehend the suspects responsible for the killings.
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“We are on top of the situation and all the hoodlums responsible would be rounded up. But for the timely intervention of joint security personnel coordinated by the Area Commander, the terrorists would have had a field day.
“Repelling the hoodlums was a tedious task for our security agencies, but they were successful as the terrorists scampered away from the scene.”
Meanwhile, Asake in a statement by his media aide, James Swam, while expressing shock over the attack condoling with the deceased families, he also called for calm in the area.
He also urged the Kaduna State government and security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators were apprehended and brought to the book.