As shared by Blessing……

‘Yesterday evening, some few minutes after 8:00pm, I was with my mum in her room catching up because she had just come back from a journey when we heard the first gun shots. Shots were fired about five times, we paused a little and wondered what it was about and were about to continue gisting when we heard more. This time around, the shots were louder and plenty. We turned off the gen and switched off all lights, came out of the house and heard people screaming and plenty dogs barking. This went on for sometime till we heard the siren of a police vehicle. The shots began to thin out till there were none.

Many phone calls were being made by us and to us. People asking if we are safe. People telling us what they have heard happened or is happening. We didn’t sleep much last night in Samaru Kataf because there was and there is a tragedy.

This morning, I went to the market area to see for myself and try to find out what happened.

I met some eye witnesses. They were seated at a spot they usually hang out at. Yesterday was our market day. They didn’t know where the shots started from but the shots were aimed at all of them around that area. Three people were shot dead. One had a bullet straight to his head that scattered it. One had bullets around his abdomen and spine. They all laid there helpless and crying out for help till they gave up. These young people… Constance Adankaat, Victor Daniel and Samaila Dariya are no more.

Right now, Aminu Basaki, Christopher Yakubu, Bakam Waje Lajoe (my cousin) and Postguy are in the hospital from gun shot injuries.

I am still not certain about how these gun men/man came to Samaru. I have heard that they came in a vehicle, fired their shots and took off towards Kagoro/Kafanchan. I have also heard that 2 of them came on a bike, fired the shots and took off towards Ungwan Jaba/Samaru Roundabout.

Whatever the story is, people came with gun(s), fired at our people, killed three and injured some then took off.

The police were at their check point but did nothing claiming they didn’t hear the shots. The check point is not far from the market area. Nobody in this Samaru can say they didn’t hear gunshots last night. Even people as far as Mabushi heard them. Meanwhile one of the eyewitnesses said all the police did was to flash their lights at the area the shots were being fired. I wasn’t there.

Well, I saw multitudes of people (mostly youths)this morning. Even I didn’t know we are this plenty in this community. The roads are blocked. Everywhere is on lock down. The youths are saying the police and the check point are useless to us since their friends still ended up dead and injured.

I don’t know the news people outside Samaru Kataf are hearing. Someone just called my mum this morning and said he heard that WE are killing people. NO, WE ARE NOT KILLING PEOPLE. PEOPLE WITH GUNS CAME, KILLED/INJURED OUR PEOPLE AND RAN OFF. They had a means of transportation. They knew they couldn’t stay. They had to be on transit.

Everywhere is quiet and calm now. Nobody is carrying gun and killing anyone. I hear we have been placed on a 24hr curfew. So, we are here.

I don’t know how I feel. No, I know I feel so many things I can’t express.

Just like that, someone will sit down and decide who he feels should die or live and he goes about accomplishing that with no one to stop him…

How do you even begin to comfort the families of these young people? My cousin is in the hospital now. Injured for no crime he committed.

I feel many things’