Gunmen shoot dead another businessman, vigilante member in Jigawa

Unknown gunmen on Monday shot dead a popular businessman, Magaji Muktar, and a vigilante member, Ibrahim Sule, during an attack on Garki L.G.A, Jigawa state, police and residents said.

The Jigawa police spokesperson, Audu Jinjiri, told PREMIUM TIMES that the attackers shot the businessman inside his home in Garki town following his refusal to give them money.

However, residents said late Mr Muktar was shot by the gunmen in the midst of his two wives, following refusal to follow the kidnappers as they demanded, after giving an unspecified amount of money to the attackers.

“They were not satisfied with the amount of money he gave them and they decided to take him with them, he refused and they shot him dead,” a family source said, asking not to be named, for security reasons.

A resident said a local vigilante member, Ibrahim Sule, was killed in an attempt to foil the gunmen’s attack after he heard the sound of gunshots and moved toward the area with a torchlight.

The police also said they rushed to the scene and gave the gunmen a chase in the midnight attack, engaging them in a shootout. However, the hoodlums escaped using motorcycles.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how another businessman, Yusuf Maifata, was kidnapped on his sickbed in the Ringim Local Government Area. He reportedly died in captivity, despite an alleged N5 million ransom payment.

Before his death, Mr Maifata was a renowned businessman and contractor supplying food items to government schools in Jigawa State.

Just like Mr Maifata, Mr Muktar was also a businessman and a contractor supplying food items to government schools in the state. The killings sparked speculation about the activities of informants feeding gunmen about activities of the local businessmen.

On Tuesday, the state’s governor, Muhammad Badaru, after Inaugurating Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), acknowledged the upsurge of insecurity across the state following activities of gunmen.

The governor said the increase in criminality in the state is, however, small, in comparison to what is happening across the country, adding that even with the surge, Jigawa is still the least affected.

“We had series of security meetings on Monday and a lot of steps have been taken to address the issue of rising insecurity. I want to assure the residents with their prayers, God guidance, the state would overcome the challenges,” the governor said.

In his acceptance address, the chairman of the Jigawa police-community relations committee, Haruna Dangyatin, said managing crime and criminality is the responsibility of all constituents, not just the police or government alone.

He said as chairman of the committee, he would work towards re-energizing the PCRC and repositioning it towards a ‘more people-oriented performance’ outfit, creating a crime-free state, incomparable to any other, in Nigeria.