Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed a man during an attack in Kona community – a suburb of Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The hoodlums were said to have stormed the community in their numbers on Monday night, shooting sporadically at the doors of residents with the aim of killing anyone who steps out.
They also wreaked havoc in the community, setting fire on residents’ houses.
One of the residents who escaped with gunshot wounds, Silas Dame, narrated his ordeal and how his friend was killed by the assailants.
He told Channels Television that although he could not identify the bandits, they were well-armed.
“Last night (Monday), at about 12:00am when my family members were sleeping, I woke up, suspecting some footsteps and suddenly we were attacked.
“We do not know who they are. They go to people’s doorstep and if one comes out, they will fire at him but if you refuse to go out, they will set fire on the hut,” Dame said in his local dialect.
He added, “My friend was killed in the attack. He heard a knock on the door and rushed to open and was killed but, I escaped with gunshot wounds.”
On his part, the Commander of the vigilante group in the area, Alli Kotonu, explained that they engaged the gunmen in a gunfight which forced them to run away.
He said, “As the leader of the vigilante group here, we were alerted and I called my members to attack them.
“We exchanged fire and when they knew we will definitely overpower them, they escaped through this bush path you are seeing. It is unfortunate that they succeeded in killing one of our residents.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Taraba, David Misal, said he was out of the town for an official function.
He, however, stated that the police have gone after the bandits with a view to apprehending them and bringing them to justice(Channels Tv)
