Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have killed the Acting Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Katsina State, Alhaji Amadu Surajo.
According to reports, the terrorists also abducted the first and second wives of the MACBAN chieftain, along with one of his daughters, who is an undergraduate at one of the public universities in the country.
In the attack, which occurred in the late hours of Saturday night into the wee hours of Sunday morning, the hoodlums attacked Mai Rana village in Kusada Local Government Area, killed three other people, and injured several others.
A source familiar with the incident, however, said the hoodlums later released Surajo’s first wife.
Before his death, Surajo was the state Secretary of MACBAN before he was elevated to Acting Chairman.
His current portfolio came about after the National Vice President of MACBAN, who doubled as Chairman of the association in the state, Munnir Lamido, disappeared mysteriously in June last year.
According to reports, Lamido left his Katsina residence on June 23 and traveled to Kaduna State.
He was said to have informed family members by phone that he had stopped in Zaria to eat at a restaurant.
But his whereabouts became unknown after family and friends tried to reach him some hours later. His vehicle and two phones were later recovered along Maraban Jos, just before entering Kaduna town.
He was declared missing by security operatives a few days later, and his whereabouts have remained unknown ever since.
Following Saturday night’s incident, sources said security operatives had been deployed to the community to ensure peace and investigate the incident.
The remains of Surajo and the other deceased persons are expected to be buried later on Sunday morning according to Islamic rites, while the injured have been hospitalized and are receiving treatment.
Though several council areas face security challenges in the state, Kusada Council is not among them.
This has led to speculation from some quarters that the attack was more than just a bandit attack.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the police command in the state, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, was yet to respond to inquiries about the incident at the time of the report.
