Gunshots rock Kaduna ahead of election

Barely few hours to Governorship and State Assembly elections, gunshots from a robbery attack on Friday, in Manchok, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, sent residents and electoral officials running in all directions for safety.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who was at the scene reports that the armed robbers stormed the kiosk of a money transfer agent around 9:30 pm., shooting sporadically in the air.

As the sound of the gunshots rattled the air, pandemonium set in with residents running in all directions for safety.

Electoral officials assigned to Manchok Registration Area, who were sorting electoral materials for various Polling Units close to the scene for Saturday’s election, also ran for safety, leaving the electoral materials behind.

The officials, however, returned after the robbers had finished their operation along with security personnel and party agents and continued sorting the materials.

An eye witness, Mukaila Danjuma, said: “Three men suddenly appeared from nowhere, two of them with guns and started shooting in the air.

“One of them came straight to the kiosk and snatched the bag containing all the money generated from various transactions in the day.”

The owner of the kiosk, Balarabe Danjuma, told NAN that the bag contained about N3.5 million.

“They did not take anything apart from the bag and left immediately, still shooting in the air to scare people off.

“This is the second time I was robbed. The first time they came I have already closed for the day but they proceeded straight to my house and took about N5 million.

“I have not even finished repaying my bank and now this,” he lamented.