By PETER UWUMAROGIE

The Police Command in Gombe State has said gunmen killed two persons and kidnapped four in an attack on Pindiga Community, in Akko Local Government Area of the state.

The Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, said the attack happened at 3.30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Abdullahi stated that unidentified armed men invaded the residence of the victims along Pindiga–Kashere Road, where they shot 31-year-old Yusuf Mohammed and 28-year-old Faiza Mohammed while abducting 16-year-old Zainab Mohammed Yusuf, all of the same address.

He said that the gunmen further proceeded to the residence of one Alhaji Yayaji Abdullahi, where they abducted his wife and two children.

Abdullahi said that the two gunshot victims were immediately rushed to the Cottage Hospital, Pindiga, where they were confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

He said following this development, tactical and intelligence-led operations had been intensified in the area.

“Consequently, hunters and local vigilante groups were mobilised, while concerted efforts are ongoing to rescue the abducted victims and apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime”

In a related development, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has condemned the murder, describing the attack as barbaric, cruel and utterly unacceptable.

According to him, the killing of innocent citizens in their homes, alongside the abduction of women and children, is a heinous crime that deeply offends humanity and challenges the peace and security Gombe State has worked hard to sustain.

“This dastardly act is a direct assault on our collective conscience and a painful test of our resolve to protect lives and property.

“The Government and people of Gombe State share in the grief and anguish of the affected families and the entire Pindiga community,” he stated.

The governor assured that the crime would not go unchecked, disclosing that the Nigeria Police and other security agencies had commenced intensive investigations into the killings and abductions.

The governor directed that all necessary resources be deployed to track down the perpetrators, rescue the abducted victims unharmed, and bring all those involved to justice. (NAN)