Bandits attacked worshipers at Haske Baptist Church, Manini community, Chukun Local Government Area of Kaduna State this morning, killing a medical doctor and abducting five people.
An eyewitness, Jacob Bala, said in a telephone interview that the bandits, suspected to be herdsmen, stormed the church about 9am when service had already commenced, opening fire on worshippers.
Bala said the bandits, armed with sophisticated weapons, were many and rode motorcycles.
He said his uncle, Dr. Zakariya Dogonyaro, a member of staff of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, was shot dead by the bandits.
According to him, five other people, including three of his relations were abducted by the gunmen.
He said: “Church service was going on when herdsmen just came and surrounded the church and started shooting.
“They came at about 9am. They were many and they were riding on motorcycles. They started shooting indiscriminately as we scampered for safety.
“My uncle, Dr. Zakariya Dogonyaro, was killed instantly. He works with the Kaduna State Ministry of Health. They shot him and he died on the spot.
“They kidnapped five people, including my late brother’s wife, my step mother, my elder brother’s daughter and two other people.”
Recall that there has been an upsurge in the number of attacks by bandits on residents of Kaduna and its environs in recent times.
Bandits invaded Greenfield University, a private institution located off the Kaduna-Abuja road, and abducted a yet-to-be-disclosed number of students.
The bodies of three of the abducted students were later discovered in the bush.
A General Hospital in Idon, Kajuru Local Government Area was also attacked by 1am on Thursday and two nurses working in the hospital were abducted.
On March 11, the bandits broke into the Federal School of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna, and abducted 39 students.
Sources among the parents of the abducted students said N17 million was paid for the release of all the students, but the bandits later reneged on the agreement reached with the parents, saying the money was too small and released only 10 of the students while 29 are still in captivity.
