Gunmen in army uniforms kill six, injure four in Kaduna

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Thursday reportedly killed six persons and injured four others in two separate attacks on Baking Kofi, Kaninkon Chiefdom in the Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

It was gathered that the gunmen, numbering about 10, were in army camouflage and mobile police uniforms.

This is coming in the wake of a meeting between Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Fulani leaders of on peace in their domains.

El-Rufai had said at the meeting,  “We called this meeting because we need to deepen peace in our state. Peace is important and it is something we cannot compromise.

“We will continue to work assiduously for the security and peace of our communities. Everyone must reject violence because it is a destructive tool that tears communities apart and retards all human development.”

But on Thursday, gunmen struck killing six, a member of a local security committee, Auta Maurice, said.

Maurice said the two separate attacks occurred between 10am and 11am. It was believed to have been carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen, who were wearing army and mobile police uniforms.

He explained that three persons were killed in the bush where they had gone to cut wood for roofing, three others were killed at a mining site while four others were injured.

The injured, according to him, were taken to a hospital in Kafanchan.

“The first attack occurred at about 10am when some members of our community  went to the bush to cut wood for roofing their houses. All of a sudden, the herdsmen opened fire on them and three people were killed while others managed to escape.

“The second attack happened at about 11am at a local mining site. Three people were also killed there, while four others were injured.

“We reported the case to the soldiers maintaining security in our community and we went to the bush with them, but the bandits had fled,” he said.

When contacted, the Kaduna State Police Command confirmed the attacks.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Mukhtar, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told our correspondent that the attacks claimed six lives while four persons sustained varying degrees of injury.

According to the spokesman, four males and two females lost their lives during that attacks which occurred on Thursday morning.

“There was an attack at a mining site in the Bakin Kogi area in the early hours of today (Thursday) where six persons were killed by some gunmen; four males and two females.

“A combined team of the police and the military are currently on a manhunt for the perpetrators.

“We will not leave any stone unturned until the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to book.”