Soldiers, armed men in battle, two dead

Soldiers and armed kidnappers had a gunfight Saturday night along Magamar Jibia border axis in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The soldiers had responded to a distress call that kidnappers were operating in the area. Before their arrival, the armed men stopped two vehicles, killing two passengers and abducting three others.

The arrival of the soldiers and ensuing gun battle had forced the kidnappers to a retreat.

An eyewitness alleged the incident happened at 9:15 pm on Saturday.

“Before the police and soldiers fought them off, they stopped two vehicles, killed two passengers and kidnapped three. This is the picture of one of the victims,” the source said.

Neither the state government nor the police has reacted to the incident.

Some armed bandits, last week, gave up their weapons in exchange for amnesty from the Katsina state government. Ibrahim Ahmad, the special adviser to the state governor on security matters,  confirmed the development.

Credit: Channels television