No fewer than eight people were killed by suspected gunmen to be bandits when they attacked a convoy vehicle of traders returning from the local market at Yantumaki town of Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

A credible source, who is the chairman of the drivers’ union in the area, Kabiru Dangaye, disclosed that the terrorists opened fire on the traders amidst the presence of armed soldiers escorting the traders in a convoy of 25 vehicles on Friday.

He said eight people died instantly from the attack while those wounded were taken to hospital receiving medical attention.

The chairman said, “Our drivers waited for hours as usual for other drivers and traders to come from neighbouring communities to begin the journey. We had about 25 vehicles then called the soldiers to come and escort us as usual and the soldiers drove in their vehicle.”

Dangaye added that the meeting point was Mai Dabino, a community in the Danmusa area, where they took up as a convoy, and as they passed Sabon Garin Nasarawa and Mahuta, they ran into an ambush around the Makera area.

“The terrorists were in four groups and it was when the leading vehicle reached the third group that the terrorists began the shooting. When the soldiers driving in the back, aimed to move faster to the front, another set of terrorists began shooting at them, but the soldiers engaged them and because of their numerical strength and widespread, the terrorists had the upper hand over the soldiers,” he said.

Dangaye added that a distress call was made to the Community Watch Corps who came with more soldiers to help the traders.

The Police in Katsina State are yet to comment on the attack, though efforts made to reach out to the Police spokesperson in the state, Abubakar Sadik, failed at the time of filing the report.

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