Bandits have attacked Kurfi General Hospital in Kurfi local government area of Katsina state, shooting a watchman and abducting four women, including the wife of one of the health officials on duty.

A reliable source from the area told our reporter that three of the bandits who entered the hospital around 10:45am unarmed, later engaged the guardsman who intercepted them to inquire about their mission at the hospital.

“Whey they started arguing, the watchman quickly went and locked the hospital gate, unknown to him that other armed members of the attackers were outside.

“They jumped over the wall fence and shot the watch man in the stomach. It was thought that he had died but was later given first aid and rushed to a hospital in Katsina” the source said.

It was gathered that the attackers had wanted to abduct one Mustapha Hamza who is a casual staff of the hospital on duty at the time, but he luckily escaped but unfortunately his wife, who accompanied him to the hospital, was abducted in the process.

“Mustapha is an anastasia nurse and he was on call at the time to attend to a woman who would undergo a surgery.

“Usually, his wife would follow him whenever he is called because she would not be comfortable staying back home alone. And that was how she fell victim in the attack,” a source who craved anonymity said.

Kurfi was hitherto more or less a fortified town as bandits hardly gained access due to activities of local vigilante group supported by some well-to-do members of the community.

However, that fortification was broken with the collapse of the vigilante group, with some residents blaming it on political differences of some highly-placed individuals in the area.

Not long ago, a nursing mother was abducted with her twin children and the third one who is not more than four years old.

A resident of Kurfi said that the mother and twin children were released by their captors after the payment of N3.5m.

However, the young boy, fondly called AK, is still in captivity as the bandits have asked for an additional N1.5m for his release.

Another resident of Kurfi blamed some of the recent attacks on informants who migrated to the town when it was safer.

Though there is no official statement from security agencies, the Kurfi council chairman, Mannir Shehu Wurma, confirmed the attack, assuring that the council is on top of the situation.

Daily Trust