Personnel of the Nigerian Army have allegedly opened fire on protesters who came out to register their grievances after bandits killed no fewer than eight persons and abducted 17 women in Kanon Haki village, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The aggrieved residents had on Wednesday blocked the Funtua-Gusau Road over the bandits’ recurring attacks in the area.
According to BBC, soldiers deployed to the area killed two of the protesters and injured four others.
The victims had attacked the Muhammadu Buhari-led government, saying they didn’t get help from security agencies. Meanwhile, when they started protesting, soldiers opened fire on them.
Katsina, despite being the home state of President Buhari, has witnessed sporadic attacks by bandits and kidnappers that have claimed the lives of many.
Over 700 people have been reportedly killed by the gunmen in Jibia, Kankara, Dutsinma, Musawa, Danmusa and Safana local government areas of the state in the last five months.
On December 11, 2020, some bandits kidnapped 344 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, while Buhari was on a visit to the state. They were released about a week later.
Also on December 19, 84 Islamiyya students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya in Mahuta village, in the Dandume Local Government Area of the state were abducted but rescued shortly after.
