(NIGERIA) Few hours after over 15 persons were murdered in the southern part of Kaduna State, gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents again, on Friday night, stormed the Kaura Local Government Area of the state, killing the District Head of Zangang in the Atakar chiefdom, Yohanna Daniel Shinkut.
This is even as news broke that members of the dreaded sect, again abducted over 40 youths in a remote village; Malari, in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
A resident of the area, Emmanuel Samuel,told newsmen in Kaduna that the suspected Fulani herdsmen, ambushed Shinkut on his way back home from Manchock, and left him dead in his own pool of blood.
He said: “The incident happened around 9pm when the attackers fired and damaged his car, and when the traditional ruler could no longer move the car, they went close to the vehicle and shot him at close range on the chest.”
When contacted, one of the daughters of the late District Head confirmed the killing of her father in a telephone conversation, saying, “yes, it’s true. He was shot dead,” she said.
A community leader, Enock Zangang, who also confirmed the incident, described it as an unfortunate and dastardly act, insisting that the culprits should be brought to book.
Enock said the District Head was brutally murdered on his way back home, adding that his remains has been deposited at the rural community hospital in Manchok.
He lamented that: “What is happening here since April 2013 is a war and total attempt to wipe out our people. This is worrying. People are being killed, without help. More than 600 people have been killed just from this Chiefdom. Something needs to be done quickly.”
The State Police authorities are yet to comment on the killing.
Fleeing residents told newsmen that the Malari abduction happened early Thursday morning, but the story just broke as there was no means of reaching the outside world.
Witnesses that fled to Maiduguri said the dreaded militants stormed the village forcefully, gathering all males in the village for sermon and later went away with over 40 youths between the ages of 10 to 23.
“They gathered us in front of the resident of the village head for preaching, after which they went away with over 40 of our unmarried youths between the ages of 10 and 23 years,” the witness said.
He revealed that the youths were stocked in two Hilux vehicles and headed towards their hideouts in Sambisa Forest, some 20 kilometres away.
He also said three of his sons were among those taken away by the dreaded sect members.
It was confirmed that many of the villagers have fled the community for fear of further attacks.
Several able-bodied youths, both boys and girls have been taken away in the troubled north east states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe by the insurgents in an effort to strengthen their military might. (NEWSWATCH TIMES)
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