Barely 24 hours after the killing of another All Progressives Congress (APC) ward chairman in Kano State, heavily armed gunmen have abducted the party’s chairman in Rogo Local Government Area after reportedly killing two residents who attempted to prevent the abduction.
The latest incident has heightened concerns over the security of political actors and residents in parts of the state, coming a day after gunmen reportedly killed Garba Buba, APC chairman of Rantan Ward in Bebeji Local Government Area, and another person.
The attackers stormed Rogo at about 11pm on Monday and operated for roughly 30 minutes, abducting Abdullahi Fanka, the APC chairman in Rogo Local Government Area, according to community sources.
Residents said the gunmen, who were heavily armed, opened sporadic fire during the operation, apparently to scare residents away and prevent any attempt to challenge them.
Two people were reportedly shot dead when they attempted to stop the assailants from taking Fanka away.
A resident who spoke on the incident said the attackers were heavily armed and outgunned the residents who attempted to intervene.
“We couldn’t stop them from carrying out their criminal actions because they were in possession of heavily armed, loaded guns. Even those killed were trying to stop them,” the source said.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents raising fresh concerns about the security situation in parts of Kano, particularly the vulnerability of community and political leaders to armed attacks.
The killing of Buba in Bebeji Local Government Area on Sunday had already triggered concern among residents and political circles, with the latest abduction adding another dimension to the growing security challenge.
The circumstances surrounding Fanka’s abduction, including whether the attackers made any demands, remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
Efforts to obtain confirmation from the Kano State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and messages seeking the command’s reaction to the incident were not answered.
Security agencies are expected to establish the identities of the attackers, their motive and the whereabouts of the abducted APC chairman, while efforts to secure his release are anticipated to follow.
