Gunmen Kill Five Persons In Gombe, Injure Policeman, Six Others

SAN FRANCISCO, February 22, (THEWILL) - Gunmen operating on a motorcycle, Friday evening, sprayed hot lead on a group of youths playing cards in the Bagadaza area of Gombe, the capital of Gombe State, instantly killing five of them while seven others, including a policeman, were seriously injured.

An eyewitness who lives in the area said the gunmen stormed the area around 4 pm and killed the card players while a policeman attached to the Government House, Gombe was injured. He added that the gunmen escaped immediately on their motorbike after the attack.

In an interview, the eyewitness, who gave his name as Bulus Ciroma, said his daughter who operates a shop at the scene of the incident ran into her house when she heard gunshots but on returning, she came out to see dead bodies lying on the street.

“They opened fire on the people and killed five people and in the process injured seven other persons, including one policeman who is attached to Government House Gombe,” another eye witness said, craving anonymity.

He disclosed that the people of the area did not allow the police to take away the bodies of the victims, insisting that the governor himself must come before the bodies will be released.

“We pleaded with them to allow us carry the dead bodies but the people insisted that the governor or the Police Commissioner must come to the scene before they will allow the bodies of the dead to be taken away,” he said.

It was learnt however that the bodies were later taken to the Federal Medical Centre Gombe.

The Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, ASP Fwaje Atajiri, confirmed the incident but said investigation had begun to unmask the perpetrators of the attack.