The presence of about 200 armed men along Katsina – Jibiya Road in Katsina State sent fears into residents, custom and officials at Mell Tekwas village in Jibiya Local Government Area of the state on Sunday evening.
Champion Newspapers gathered the custom and immigration officials were discharging their duties at the Mell Tekwas Check point when they were tipped off that the gunmen were heading to the area.
Investigations revealed that the few custom and immigration operatives at the checkpoint quickly retreated from their tents and the roadsides before the gunmen arrived and set ablaze two vehicles – Toyota Hilux- belonging to the custom, a private car of one custom officer and the official vehicle of immigration personnel.
Investigations revealed that as the vehicles were burnt to ashes, the gunmen shot a passenger inside a commercial vehicle that was passing by the carnage.
The victim was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital and had been responding to treatment.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Custom Service, Katsina Command, Danbaba Isah, confirmed the incident.
Isah said the leadership of the custom area command had paid an on the spot assessment visit to the scene of the attack, adding that “the officials took cover after an eye witness reported that about 200 gunmen on motor bikes were nearby.”
On the motive of the armed men, he said: “When they (gunmen) want to attack a place, you can’t know the actual reason for their action but we are suspecting that they wanted to snatch our officials’ rifles.
“You know, they are interested in rifles. So, all armed carrying security agencies are among their targets.”
Recall that barely a week ago, gunmen attacked Katsina community of Gakurdi in Jibiya Local Government Area of the state and killed 12 persons in cold blood as the villagers scampered to safety in nearby bush.
