November  22, 2021

Details have emerged on how Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, Zamfara APC guber aspirant was murdered by gunmen along the dreaded Abuja-Kaduna highway on Sunday afternoon. The assailants wore military uniform.

The politician was shot dead with several others while other commuters sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Hamidu, a retired FCT director of protocol, was ambushed by 3.30pm on Sunday in the Rijana area along Kaduna-Abuja expressway. The assailants suspected to be terrorist looking to kidnap victims for cash waylaid commuters  on the highway, killed some, wounded some and escaped into the bush with others

Muhammad Sirajo Hamidu, brother of the slain politician, said on Monday that his brother, alongside his police orderly, and two others were traveling to Abuja before they were ambushed.

“My brother, his orderly with two other persons alongside his driver were traveling to Abuja for an urgent issue. They were ambushed by bandits along Rijana, Kaduna Abuja expressway in broad daylight.

“When the driver discovered they were bandits, and not security operatives, because they all wore army uniform. The driver made a U-turn. Unknown to him, he was already in the mist of kidnappers who had already positioned themselves along the road. They opened fire on the occupants of the vehicle. My brother was shot on the chest, and leg. His driver disappeared unhurt,” he said.

He added that the bandits captured his brother’s orderly and took him into the bush with other passengers.

In another development, gunmen on Sunday attacked Barawa Village in Katsina, killing four and leaving several others injured.

Residents of the rural community said that the attackers arrived in dozens of motorcycles, each bearing arms.

The raid is said to have lasted for over 90 minutes, giving the gunmen enough time to ransack the village.