One injured as robbers attack newspaper distributor in Sokoto

Suspected armed robbers yesterday attacked a newspaper distributor, retired Navy Captain Abubakar El-Yakub, along Sahara area, off Emir Yahya Road in Sokoto metropolis. Sama’ila Isa, an errand boy to El-Yakub, who is also a school feeding contractor in Kebbi State, was reportedly shot by the robbers. The robbers were said to have carted away over […]

Suspected armed robbers yesterday attacked a newspaper distributor, retired Navy Captain Abubakar El-Yakub, along Sahara area, off Emir Yahya Road in Sokoto metropolis.

Sama’ila Isa, an errand boy to El-Yakub, who is also a school feeding contractor in Kebbi State, was reportedly shot by the robbers.

The robbers were said to have carted away over N5 million allegedly belonging to the distributor.

It was learnt that the distributor came from Argungu in Kebbi State to return unsold newspapers and collect new ones when the incident happened.

He was said to have made a stopover at the Sokoto main branch of the First Bank Nigeria Plc, where he withdrew the money around 11am on Thursday and kept it in the trunk of his car before driving to Sahara area to drop the newspapers.

Unknown to him, he was being trailed by robbers in a yellow-painted vehicle, and while he was in the office of one of his business partners to sort things out, the robbers struck and shot his errand boy on the leg.

According to witnesses’ accounts, the robbers were four and were carrying AK47 rifles and wore masks.

The distributor, however, refused to grant an interview on the incident but Isa, who was rushed to the Specialist Hospital for treatment, told our reporter that they were deceived by their (armed robbers) appearance because they dressed like security operatives, only that they wore face masks.

He said they shot him twice on both legs as he tried to run to his boss, whom he suspected to be their target, in order to alert him.

Spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command DSP Muhammad Sadiq, who confirmed the incident, said efforts were on to track down the perpetrators.