Ten people have lost their lives and others injured following two attacks by bandits at Tsatskiya village, Safana Local Council of Katsina State.
This was as 10 persons are feared dead and 50 hospitalised, following an outbreak of a strange illness at Koya village, Minjibir Local Council of Kano State.
Residents of Tsatskiya had, in mob action, on Friday, lynched two suspected bandits’ informants.
On Saturday afternoon, the bandits reportedly stormed the community, shot and killed eight residents. Several others were said to have been injured in the process, with two currently receiving medical attention at the General Hospital in neighbouring Dutsinma Local Council.
The incident was confirmed yesterday by the spokesperson of the police command, Gambo Isah, who said a report by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area indicated that the bandits killed eight people and injured two.
According to him, the incident was a reprisal attack by bandits, after the villagers had killed two informants.
IN the Kano outbreak, it is not certain whether the victims died after ingesting the deadly flavoured drink that recently killed about seven residents and left more than 50 with kidney-related diseases.
Confirming the development to The Guardian yesterday, the Information Officer of Mingibir Local Council, Tasiu Dadinduniya, said though clinical examination was yet to ascertain the cause of the deaths, he said it might not be far from a cholera outbreak.
Dadinduniya said the first victim, who came down with vomiting and diarrhoea, died after about 15 minutes.
“Last Friday, we recorded an outbreak yet to be identified but suspected to be cholera, in Koya village. It happened after the break of Muslim fasting when a head of a household came down with vomiting and diarrhoea, which didn’t last more than 15 minutes and he died.
“So far, about 10 persons have lost their lives. Over 50 others were hospitalised at the Minjibir hospital. The Village Head, Alhaji Ahmad Koya, said they were yet to ascertain the main cause of the outbreak although health officials have visited the area.”
Chairman of the local council, Saleh Minjibir, has reportedly reached out to the victims, providing medical supplies to the patients who were separated in a camp for treatment.
Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminu Tsanyawa, did not respond to inquests on the incident when contacted.
