by Musa Abdullahi
A gang of thieves Wednesday morning shot dead at least 20 people and set houses on fire in Gworon Dutse village of Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna State.
The thieves were said to have stormed the village in the morning. A source in the nearby Gwaska village said the thieves carried out the attack as a revenge for the killing of two of their colleagues near the village recently.
He said: “The thieves set up a road block near Gwaska village and robbed travellers but before they left a group of men moving towards Gwaska from Goron Dutse engaged them in a fight, killing two instantly.”
He said the thieves later killed a man travelling on motorcycle along the same road a few days before the attack on Wednesday.
“They arrived the village in the morning and opened fire on the residents and before the left, they torched all the houses. No fewer than 20 people were killed and almost all the houses in the village were burnt. We believe the thieves live in the forest close by and attacked the people as revenge for the killing of their friends.” He said soldiers and policemen were later seen patrolling the area.
Police spokesman, DSP Zubairu Abubakar said he was not aware of the attack but promised to contact his colleagues in the area for details.
Meanwhile, Kaduna State Governor-elect, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has desribed as barbaric the killing of 20 persons at Goron Duste Village in Birni-Gwari Local Government Area of the state by suspected armed robbers.
The bandits had reportedly raided the Goron-Dutse village, killing 20 persons and destroying buildings in the community in a suspected reprisal.
It was gathered that the robbers invaded the village after two of their members were killed by the villagers on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, while condoling the families of the 20 persons killed, el-Rufai called for urgent action by security operatives in the state.
The former minister of the FCT in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, noted that it was unfortunate that the lives of innocent persons could be so brutally cut short by the activities of men of the underworld.
El-Rufai said, “The governor-elect received with sadness news of the killing of about 20 persons and the destruction of homes in a village located in Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna State.
“It is barbaric and inhuman. It is unfortunate that innocent Nigerians will be brutally killed in their sleep.
“The governor-elect therefore condoles the affected families and the entire community over this unfortunate act. He prays for the repose of the souls of the deceased.
“He also charged security agencies to redouble their efforts in ensuring maximum security in the state.”
