Driver Hurt as Bandits Attack Vehicle Transporting Traders

A driver identified as Sani Dalladala, along with his passengers, narrowly escaped an abduction attempt after bandits opened fire on his vehicle, resulting in injuries as he traveled along the Katari–Gurara Dam road in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Musa Ladan, a resident of Katari, reported that the incident transpired on Sunday at about 2:30 PM while the driver was transporting traders in a Volkswagen Golf from Katari to the market at Gurara Dam village.

According to Ladan, the attack occurred just past the Kurutu junction, when armed bandits, equipped with AK-47 rifles, suddenly emerged from the nearby bush and opened fire on the car, wounding the driver in the process.

Despite being shot in the leg by a bullet that penetrated the car door, the driver was able to flee at high speed with his passengers, as recounted by the local resident.

“The driver was transporting six traders from Katari to the Gurara Dam village market when the bandits unexpectedly appeared from the bush and fired upon them. Nonetheless, the driver managed to escape with everyone on board, despite suffering a gunshot to his leg,” Ladan stated.

Following the attack, the driver was promptly taken to a medical facility in Gurara Dam village, where he is currently receiving treatment for his injuries.

A community leader also confirmed the occurrence to our correspondent over the phone on Monday, noting that the bandits had targeted the vehicle while it was traveling along the Katari–Gurara Dam road.

“We are grateful that he was able to evade capture along with his passengers, although he sustained a bullet wound and is presently undergoing treatment,” the community leader remarked.

Residents expressed their concerns regarding the rise in banditry across different settlements in the area, urging the state government to deploy two or three military checkpoints along the Katari–Gurara Dam route to counter the activities of the armed groups.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, verified the incident and mentioned that troops were dispatched to patrol the area immediately after the attack was reported.

At the time of this report, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Hassan Mansur, had not provided confirmation regarding the incident.