Bandits kill Kaduna farmers, abduct traders

Bandits, on Thursday, invaded Sabon Layi community� in the� troubled� Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing three farmers while scores of others, including some travellers, were kidnapped.

The incident took place at about 12pm, a community leader in the area, Sallau Ibrahim, told The PUNCH.

He identified the three slain farmers as�� Anas Sabonlayi, Abubakar Dankibiya and Harisu� Lemu.

Ibrahim said the deceased were buried in Sabon Layi around 4.30pm on Thursday in� accordance with Islamic rites.

According to him, the attacked was a reaction to military operation currently going on in the troubled areas.

The bandits also attacked some traders travelling� from the western part to� the Thursday Birnin-Gwari Market.

�They kidnapped some of the traders/travellers on their way to the market,�Ibrahim said.

�For about two weeks the farmers didn�t go to farm in the area. Today they decided to go, they were attacked and kidnapped,�� Sallau said.

The Chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union, Usman Kasai,� while also confirming the incident, said, �They (bandits) killed three people. Many were abducted. We are trying to know how many are in the forest with the bandits.�

There was no official confirmation of the incident either from the police or the state government.

As of the time of filing this report, the Police� Public Relations Officer in the state,� Mohammad Jalige, had yet to respond to our correspondent�s enquiry on the incident.

He added, �Today in Nigeria and the African continent, you cannot talk of the media without mentioning Dokpesi. In the political space, he was a very bold, fearless, and courageous person.�