Gunmen kill NSCDC official, wife, 3-year-old daughter, brother

Tragedy struck in Hotoro area of Kano municipality, yesterday, when unknown gunmen killed an intelligent officer attached to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp, his wife, three year old child and a physically challenged younger brother.

Security sources told Vanguard that the gunmen had arrived the residence of the late intelligent officer identified as Ismaila Yerima on two motorbikes, secured entrance to the building and opened fire on those found at home during the attack.

Other family members killed during the attack were Aisha, his wife; Khadija, three years old daughter and Adam, the physically challenged younger brother to the late officer.

The security sources confided in Vanguard that the attack lasted barely five minutes, adding that the sporadic gunshot triggered pandemonium around the vicinity as the assailants escaped in the ensuing confusion.

Vanguard learnt that neighbours’ locked up their gates and remained indoors until the arrival of security agents to the area, who met the entire family dead in a pool of their blood.

While the incident lasted, a military helicopter was seen hovering round the city in a futile attempt to track the assailant as businesses suffered momentary set back in the area.

Ismaila Yerima’s colleagues, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard that the late Yerima must have been mistaken for a State Security Service, SSS operative, adding “he always appeared in suit and was very popular in the area.”

However, officials of the Civil Defence sector Command in Kano are keeping sealed lips over the tragic incident as efforts made to get confirmation from them was rebuffed.

But the Kano police Command, which confirmed the incident, said investigation has begun to unravel the mystery with the hope of bringing the perpetrators to book.

Kano Police Commissioner, Mr Ibrahim Idris told newsmen that adequate security measures had been put in place to track down the fleeing assailant, adding that everything humanly possible was being done to arrest them.