Bandits abduct Customs officer, pastor, several others in Zaria attack

Mu’awiya Gambo, a Nigerian Customs Service official, and Felix Zakari, a Catholic priest, were among those kidnapped when robbers stormed the Kofar Gayan Low Cost and Gwangwaje neighborhoods of Zaria, Kaduna State.

According to many accounts, the bandits struck Kofar Gayan Low Cost just after 9 p.m. riding motorcycles.

After the intermittent firing, the criminals “completely armed with firearms and carried away the customs officer and his son, Khalifa,” according to Aminu Dogo, a resident of Zaria. Last year, they came to the same neighborhood and injured mothers and children.”

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Mr Gambo, the abducted customs officer, has always been the criminals’ target, according to another neighbor, Musa Abdulmalik.

“I can’t say whether it was a random kidnapping or a premeditated kidnapping, but he had always been their target.” They went after him twice, but he fled each times. That’s why we keep claiming that these folks (the bandits) are surrounded by informants. Around 9 p.m., they arrived in the area and organized the attack,” he claimed.

Saifullahi Lawal, a local journalist who works for Queen FM radio, reported that among those kidnapped is a woman called Jamila Abbas.

“As soon as the soldiers arrived, the bandits reassembled and assaulted Gwargwaje, continuing their assault.” They assassinated one woman in her house there. I’ve emailed you a photo of her. She was killed by the bandits. He replied, “I was in the neighborhood when they came.”

According to Mr Lawal, the bandits kidnapped a number of individuals.

During the attack, the command spoa State and sectkesperson, Mohammed Jalige, did not reply to calls or SMS addressed to him.

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Islamist gunmen have swarmed Kadunions of the North-West region, causing unparalleled mayhem in the communities. Hundreds of people have been murdered or injured by the gunman in the region. Several others have been kidnapped and held for ransom.