By Our Reporter
The Acting Chairman of the Katsina State Chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Surajo Rufa’i, has been killed by some suspected bandits.
He was killed on Saturday at his residence located in the Mai-Rana village in the Kusada Local Government Area of Katsina State.
It was learnt that two other persons were also killed and several others wounded during the attack which took place at 11:30 pm.
Although, the remains of Rufa’i and the two other persons have been buried on Sunday morning according to Islamic rites, the source revealed that the hoodlums kidnapped the deceased chairman’s two wives, along with his daughter, an undergraduate.
“Surajo’s first wife was later released by the hoodlums,” the source noted.
The police spokesman in the state, Abubakar Sadiq, also confirmed the incident in a statement, stating that the bandits invaded the residence of Rufai, shot him and kidnapped his wife and daughter.
“A gun duel ensued when the operatives tracked the assailants to Kofa village, forcing the bandits to flee due to the operatives’ superior firepower.
“Unfortunately, two (2) persons were fatally shot by the bandits during their escape. Efforts are being intensified to ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspects. Further development will be communicated as the investigation proceeds”, the statement noted.
Before his death, Rufa’i, was the state secretary of the Katsina State Chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), who was eventually elevated to the acting chairman of the association following the mysterious disappearance of Mannir Atiku Lamido, the National Vice President of the MACBAN, who doubled as the Katsina State Chapter Chairman of the MACBAN.
It was gathered that Lamido had left his Katsina residence on June 23, 2024, for Kaduna State and informed family members through a telephone conversation that he had stopped in Zaria to eat at a restaurant.
His whereabouts however became unknown after family and friends tried to reach him some hours later. His two phones were recovered in his vehicle parked along the Maraban Jos.