Gunmen kill 2 vigilantes in reprisal attack near FCT

Gunmen reportedly shot and killed two vigilantes in an attack at Mayaki, near Zago, a community bordering Abaji Area Council of the FCT and Lapai LGA of Niger State. The vigilantes were reportedly riding on a motorcycle when their assailants gunned them down. Shuaibu Adamu, a member of the vigilante group in the area and […]

Gunmen reportedly shot and killed two vigilantes in an attack at Mayaki, near Zago, a community bordering Abaji Area Council of the FCT and Lapai LGA of Niger State.

The vigilantes were reportedly riding on a motorcycle when their assailants gunned them down.

Shuaibu Adamu, a member of the vigilante group in the area and a relative of one of the victims, confirmed the incident to our reporter by telephone on Tuesday night.

He stated that the incident occurred around 5:22 pm as his two colleagues were returning from Gulu market.
He explained that the gunmen emerged from the bush at a difficult section of the road and shot the victims in their chests and abdomen. “It was some villagers, who were returning from Gulu market to Mayaki village, that saw the two corpses and their bike by the roadside.

“They came to inform our other members before we mobilised to the scene,” he said.

According to Adamu, the two vigilantes were transported by bike to a hospital in Gulu town, where doctors confirmed them dead. He added that the remains of one of them were taken to his village and buried.

The vigilante member attributed the incident to a reprisal attack. He said two gunmen were initially killed when they attempted to rustle cows at a settlement in Mayaki village, within the Abaji Area Council of the FCT, two weeks ago.

Alhaji Yakubu Musa, a leader of the herders from Mayaki village, also confirmed the incident to our reporter by telephone on Wednesday.

He said he received news of the killing of the vigilante members, who were returning from Gulu market on Tuesday evening, by suspected gunmen.
He, too, attributed the killing to a reprisal attack by the gunmen.

“I even visited the families of one of the deceased, who was buried on Tuesday evening.

“I want to also use this medium to condole with their families over the unfortunate incident,” he said.

He appealed to the authorities of both Abaji Area Council and Lapai LGA in Niger State to form a synergy to tackle the incessant attacks by gunmen around the borders of the FCT and Niger State.
SP Josephine Adeh, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, could not be reached for comments on the incident at the time of filing this report.