Unknown gunmen have killed a lecturer in his residence in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria.

The victim, Ishiaku Garba, was a lecturer with Shehu Idris College of Health Technology, Makarfi, Kaduna State.

Family sources say the incident occurred around 9pm on yesterday at his Kinkinau GRA residence shortly after the victim’s return from Asham prayers.

One of the sources said: “He rushed home to attend to a call from home of some ‘visitors’ waiting for him. Unknown to him, the ‘visitors’ were the gunmen who earlier had access to the house, seized the wife’s phone, which was used to place the call, and collected unspecified amount of money and other valuables from the wife.

“Mallam Ishiaku ran into the ambush and was made to surrender his phone and money before finally being shot, point blank by the assailants in his room.”

The District Head of Ungwan Muazu and Cikasauron Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Idris, while confirming the incident, described it as unfortunate the way human life has become devalued.

He condemned the killing and called on residents of the community to continue to remain vigilant and pray to God to protect the community and expose perpetrators of the dastardly act.

The area has come under several armed robbery attacks in the recent past. Two months ago, unknown gunmen shot a deputy director with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) at his residence in the same Kinkinau GRA.

A suspected Boko Haram kingpin and his brother were also killed in a gun duel with security operatives in the area, few weeks ago.

Residents have become apprehensive over the frequent attacks. One of them, Isah Katsina, who spoke with our correspondent, attributed recent robbery attacks, house-breaking and petty stealing in the area to the ban on okada (commercial motorcycles) by the state government.

“So many of these okada riders are out of job and cannot afford a tricycle that costs about N400,000 and nobody came to their rescue. Some of these issues contribute to most of the problems of insecurity in the state in general,” he said.

•Photo shows Governor Muktar Yero of Kaduna State.