The Sokoto State Government has disclosed that contrary to speculations that over 40 people lost their lives in a bandits attack on a 42-seater bus traveling from Gidan Bawa to Kaduna on Monday, facts have emerged that only 23 people lost their lives.
Security chiefs in Sokoto state, according to the Special Adviser the governor on Media and Publicity, Mohammed Bello, comprising heads of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Police, Department of State Security and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps as well as the Chairmen of Isa and Sabon Birni local government areas had briefed the state Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on the incident at the Government House, Sokoto, Wednesday, pledging to work on modalities to checkmate future occurrences.
“Strategies are on to make sure that this will not happen again,” stated the state Commissioner of Police, Kamaldeen Okunola, who briefed journalists after a closed session with Governor.
He explained that of the total number of people in the bus which the bandits shot at causing a conflagration, 23 died of fire burns while six sustained minor injuries and are receiving treatment at a hospital.
Three of the victims whose injuries were not so serious were promptly treated and discharged, Okunola said, after the security agencies mobilized to the spot of the attack and immediately mounted a patrol that is still ongoing on the 30 kilometers stretch of road between Gidan Bawa, the attack spot in Sokoto state and Shinkafi town in Zamfara state.
Meanwhile, Sokoto state government has condoled the people of the area on the tragic loss. Gov. Tambuwal prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased, quick recovery for those hospitalized and other wounded.
