Residents of the area said that the traders were returning to their community from a local market in Jibia around 6pm when they ran into the assailants.
Suspected terrorists reportedly attacked travellers along Jibia/Batsari Road in Katsina State on Sunday evening, killing at least nine people said to be traders.
Residents of the area said that the traders were returning to their community from a local market in Jibia around 6pm when they ran into the assailants.
It was gathered that the traders were being conveyed in two vehicles which the terrorists also burnt, PUNCH reports.
A resident was quoted as saying that “The traders left the market early enough after their trading on Sunday only for them to run into the gunmen between 5pm and 6pm along Jibia/ Batsari Road.”
Residents further said that the gunmen shot into the two vehicles conveying the traders, killing one of the drivers and the traders on the spot.
According to them, sympathisers later deposited the corpses of the victims at the Jibia General Hospital, where their relatives picked them up on Monday morning.
The numbers of traders wounded in the accident and those abducted could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
The Katsina State Police Command is yet to confirm the incident as the spokesman for the command, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, was said to be in a meeting and he had yet to respond to enquiry sent to him on the incident.
The State Governor, Dikko Radda, had maintained that there was relative peace in the state, attributing it to the efforts of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the state.
Governor Radda had made the remarks at the annual West African Social Activities organised by the 17 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Katsina.
Governor Radda, who was represented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Muazu, highly commended the efforts of the Nigerian Army in the state.
He said, “Your efforts are highly commendable. I urge you to maintain the laudable standard. The historical role of ‘WASA’ serves as an avenue that fosters good relationship between the Nigerian Army personnel and host communities which has been serving its purpose in the state over the years.”