Bandits attack Zaria again, kidnap 12 people

Gunmen have attacked a residential area of Kofar Gayan/Kofar Kona in the Zaria area of Kaduna State, abducting 12 people
The incident which occurred between late Saturday and early Sunday morning came about three days after the killing of a student and kidnap of eight others and two lecturers at Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic in Zaria,
Already, the Kaduna Police Command has confirmed abduction of the 12 persons at Kofar Gayan/Kofar Kona axis of Zaria.
The Police PPRO, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said, “There was an incident in Zaira and some of the victims were rescued.”
When asked whether the kidnappers had reached out for ransom, Jalige said in most cases, the families of the victims usually choose not to disclose the dealings between them and the kidnappers.
He however said efforts were being intensified to secure the release of the remaining people in captivity.
It was gathered that eight people were kidnapped from one house, who are mostly males.
An eyewitness and a daughter of one of the abductees, Hafsat Habib Kusfa, said the bandits broke into their home around 12 midnight and went from room to room, bringing out all the occupants and thereafter assembled them in the compound of the house.
She said the gunmen, who invaded their house carrying guns and machetes, spoke Fulfude but changed to Hausa language when they needed to talk to their captives.
She added that after some arguments, the gunmen told her to go back into the house to take care of the children with a nursing mother, who is her step-mother.
Kufsa said, “Thereafter, they took away my father, mother, sister, and my brothers. All in all they took eight people from our residence.
“We also saw some of their colleagues bringing out other people mostly males from our neighbourhood and later went away with them.
“About seven gunmen stormed our residence; those that I saw with my eyes and two of them outside were about 30-year of age while those that came to pick us from our rooms were between ages 15 and 20.”
She said they later released her father and mother, whom she added were immediately hospitalised because none of them could speak.

“From their condition, it is evident that they received severe beating from their abductors which make them ill,” she said.