Bandits kill two, abduct doctor, pharmacist, others in Niger

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

Armed men suspected to be kidnappers at early hours of Tuesday stormed the Abdulsalam Abubakar General Hospital, Gulu killed two and abducted an unidentified number of people including the hospital Doctor and the Pharmacist.

Sources told our reporter that the incident occurred around 2 am Tuesday morning when they raided the hospital at Gulu in Lapai Local Government of Niger state.

According to him, they came in their numbers shooting sporadically while carrying out their operations without interception from the security agents or vigilantes.

According to reports, one of the victims killed was a man who resides opposite the hospital, a retired medical personnel simply identified as Ya-Tachi.

It could be recalled that this is the fourth time kidnappers have been attacking different communities within the area. However it was gathered that tension is high in the areas and needed the immediate support of security agencies and government.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has tasked the Joint Security Taskforce in the state to urgently put an end to the incessant armed banditry, kidnappings and wanton attacks on several communities at Gulu.

In a statement, the Governor described the recent attack and killing as callous, inhuman and condemnable, and lamented the spate of insecurity in that axis of the state. He said the targeted attack on the Hospital was regrettable, stressing the need for swift, intensified security operation in order not to hamper the smooth healthcare delivery in the area.