July 26, (THEWILL) – Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, have killed three persons and abducted five girls and a leader of a vigilante group in Jalingo, Taraba State.
The incident occurred on Saturday and Monday nights, at different locations in the State capital.
According to Daily Trust, a resident and a mobile policeman were killed at midnight at Lasandi, BabaYau, and Sabongari.
Similarly, the gunmen abducted a vigilante leader identified as Bashir and five girls, at about 1.30 am at Saminaka Junction on Monday night.
The gunmen on motorcycles reportedly invaded the area and shot in different directions before gaining entrance into the residence of the vigilante leader.
The attackers had initially met resistance in the community, but they overpowered the local security men, after which they took away Bashir and the five girls.
The area is located along the route of bandits based at Kwando forest in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, where no more than 20 persons were abducted and four persons including the chairman of Ardo-Kola Local Government council had been killed by unknown gunmen in the last few months, before the recent incidents.
Residents said they now live in fear because of the high rate of attacks by gunmen.
One of the residents, Musa Garba, said, “I am sleeping with one eye open because nobody knows which area or house the gunmen would attack next.”
The state police spokesperson, DSP Usman Abdullahi, could not be reached for comment on the attacks.
