By Haruna Salami
Police in Kaduna state are still looking for clues to unravel those behind early Sunday morning attacks that killed one policeman and one civilian after striking a police station and two banks in Saminaka,
the headquarters of Lere Local Government Council of Kaduna State headquarters North West Nigeria.
The Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Mr. Balla Nasarawa Magaji, disclosed Sunday after visiting the spots of the incident that two other people had been injured in the attack and were receiving treatment at undisclosed hospital.
He described the attack as an act of robbery, saying at the time of their visit they found that money littered the ground at the First Bank premises, but the robbers could not gain access to the second bank, Kingston, (former bank HPB), due to the response from the joint patrol team of army and police.
The police officer killed was later found to be one inspector of police on night duty, who was burnt beyond recognition, at the Motor Traffic Division (MTD) of the police divisional headquarters in Saminaka, which was razed down by explosives and heavy gun fire from the hoodlums, while the other person was a civilian guard man at the Kingston bank, who, according reports was gunned down by the hoodlums when he flashed touched light at them when they approached the bank.
Mr. Balla, who said he could not say whether they were members of Boko Haram, however, said the robbers carted away money from one of the banks but were driven away by the combined efforts of the army and the police adding that investigations had commenced to unravel those behind the act.
The Police Commissioner also assured the people of the area to go about their normal business as more security measures had been put in place.
Lere Local Government Care taker Committee Chairman of, Alhaji Kabir Tahir Malami, told newsmen that it was at about 3.45 am that the incident happened were three places, police station and two banks, were attacked by unknown gunmen.
Malami, while describing the level of devastation, said it was the first time such a thing was happening in the area adding that only those who see what has happened could give authentic report of the incidence as according to him, “the whole of the MTD is razed down as if it was pulled down by the use of grader”, (apparently referring to the Divisional Police Headquarters).
He said they also went to the affect bank to discover that one of the bank’s strong room had been blown off and money was carted away, “we are surely devastated by this act”.
According to the local government boss already they had sent word to Bauchi and Kano, two routes the suspected hoodlums might have escaped through, adding the robbers were chased but were yet to be apprehended.