Gunmen have invaded Rafin Ciyawa village in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State, killing two people, injuring six, and abducting three others.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with journalists in Bauchi.
“Yes, it happened. There was an attack on the Rafin Ciyawa community by gunmen. Three people were kidnapped, while two lost their lives in the attack,” he said.
“VRCU and AKU personnel, supported by local hunters and vigilante members, were immediately deployed to the area. They are still there working to rescue the kidnapped victims and arrest the suspects. Thank you.”
Reports from the village indicate that gunmen, in large numbers, stormed the area and opened fire sporadically, forcing residents to flee.
A 15-year-old resident said they were sleeping after Quranic lessons when the gunmen invaded and shot at them. He sustained gunshot wounds but survived. Displaying wounds that had been treated, he thanked Allah for sparing his life.
Another resident, Zubairu Yahaya, explained that the boys were sleeping outside in front of their teacher’s house after lessons — a common practice during hot weather — while other residents were indoors.
“At about 12:30 a.m., we heard sporadic gunshots,” Zubairu said. “We thought they were local vigilantes or policemen, but we later discovered they were bandits. When the gunshots subsided, we rushed to where the children were and found several of them writhing in pain. Two were killed instantly, while six others were badly injured.”
He added that the attackers returned as residents tried to move the wounded for medical attention. “They went from house to house asking for Saminu, their main target, and his younger brother, Safiyanu. They said they were informed he had just collected a huge amount of money.”
The gunmen did not find Saminu but kidnapped his family members and are now demanding ransom. “They condoled with us over the death of the two children, saying it was a mistake as the children were not the target. They said we should accept it as an act of Allah,” Zubairu said.
Mukhtar Usman, a relative of Sufyani, said he was at home when the gunmen invaded, asking for his younger brother who was not around. “Allah saved me from being killed following arguments among the gunmen over whether to kill me or not. Others in the house had scaled the fence into a neighbouring compound.”
He confirmed that three people — two women, Rukkaya and Samsiyya, and one man, Kabiru — were abducted from the compound.
“They have contacted me by phone demanding ransom for the release of the victims. We are still negotiating. They are demanding N10 million after reducing it from the initial N100 million,” he said.
Residents have called on authorities to rescue the kidnapped victims and provide adequate security. “This is the first time we are witnessing this in the village in over 50 years,” Zubairu added.
