Up to 24 Killed in Bauchi, Borno, Kano

Up to 24 people were killed in Bauchi, Borno and Kano States within Sunday and yesterday following diverse forms of crises that hit the areas recently.

Following an armed rubbery, 10 people were declared dead in Bauchi when they tried to prevent suspected armed robbers from dispossessing innocent individuals of their property, while another three persons were killed in an early morning bomb blasts that hit Kano State yesterday.

Eleven others were killed in Borno when members of the Joint Task Force, JTF, clashed with suspected terrorists in Maiduguri, the state capital.

In Bauchi, several people including two security men, some robbery suspects and villagers lost their lives during gunfire exchange with four suspected armed robbers in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area of the state.

Five were arrested by a renowned armed robbers' hunter, Alhaji Ali Kwara, and three AK 47 rifles were recovered from them in Azare.

However, in Kano State, police authorities announced three persons sustained injury following the set off of a time bomb planted by unknown persons at the Plaza/Kwari Market Junction in the early morning rush hour.

According to source statement: "What appeared like a low calibre time bomb went off at the city centre during the morning rush hour, leaving a police officer, a Hisbah guard and a local traffic officer, among others, seriously injured."

Statement from the Commisioner: In his account of the incident Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ladan explained that the four armed men that attacked the Seeds Market were killed by security personnel.

Ladan said the incident started when some gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers, attacked the market in Azare at 12:30pm, and robbed some people of their belongings.

He said the attackers were about to escape when some good Samaritans alerted security agencies, prompting a hot chase by a combined team of security men and some indigenes of Azare.

He said: "Both the Police, Army and Azare community pursued them. There was serious exchange of fire and in the process all the four armed robbers were killed.

"Some security personnel sustained injuries, but I do not have the details of the casualties on the part of the security personnel. We will get the actual details after investigation."