Seven people have been reported dead after an unknown gunman opened fire on a small crowd at Yangal village, 200km south of Kaduna metropolise, on Tuesday night, as it marked the death of an 87-year-old woman, Mama Hauwa Bello, in a sombre traditional cerebration, sources confirmed to newsmen yesterday.

Yangal, is in Yangal District, under Kamanton Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area in the southern part of Kaduna State.

Acting Chairman of Zangong Kataf LGA, Hon. Jonathan Asake, who spoke to newsmen yesterday in his office in Zonkwa, headquarters of Zangon LGA, said he had a distress call around 11pm on Tuesday and was informed that an armed Fulani man and another unarmed accomplice, attacked Yangal. He said that when he got there he saw the tragedy and helped in evacuating five corpses and 12 injured persons to St. Louis Hospital, Zonkwa, about 15 km from Yangal village.

Said Asake: “I reached Yangal village around 12am this morning, and met scores of angry, sticks and knives-wielding youths who wanted to descend on me for coming late. I was told that an old woman had passed on and was buried. That it was usual tradition for the grandchildren of the deceased to organise a small celebration to honour any person that had passed the age of 80. According to the villagers, two people were sighted around 9pm on Tuesday night around the venue of the celebration – one with a gun and the other had nothing on him. Not suspecting anything, the group went on with their celebration. Then the armed man opened fire on the crowd with his AK 47 riffle. He killed five people on the spot and two later died in the hospital. I saw the corpses and those 12 that were injured. We evacuated them to St. Louis Hospital. I left the hospital around 5am this morning. Of those injured, nine were critically hit, and we have taken them to a more equipped hospital in Jos, Plateau State.

“By the time, soldiers arrived the village, the two men had fled, and the village was in confusion.

“A Fulani man, under the protection of Police approached me, and appeared distressed while I was in the village. He claimed that the two suspects rustled his cows. But, security report reaching me has not confirmed that.

“This is calculated either to frustrate the gubernatorial campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or it was a diversion to steal cows. Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, is expected to arrive Zangon Kataf, tomorrow to continue with his campaign tour, and we know how desperate the opposition trying are to unseat our government by all means.”

National President of Kamanton Development Association (KDA, Mr. Markus Fangan, told newsmen that it was a planned violence that defied logic, because, according to him, Yangal village had never had any brush with anyone since time immemorial.

Governor Yero has condemned the attack. In a statement by his Media Aide, Ahmed Maiyaki, the Governor said the attack is an apparent attempt by miscreants with the aim of causing confusion in the state and to heighten tension among the peaceful people of the state.

“It is rather sad that some people will stop at nothing in achieving their selfish goals including shedding the blood of innocent citizens of the state,” he said.

The Governor directed the State Emergency Management Agency to immediately move to the affected community to provide victims of the attack with necessary support and assistance.

He also called on people in the affected community to remain calm as security agencies are already investigating the matter with the aim of bringing the perpetrators to book.

Yero condoled victims of the attack and prayed that God forgive those that lost their lives in the attack and their families the fortitude to bear the loss. He has also directed payment of hospital bills of those injured in the attack.

The Governor prayed that God Almighty expose those behind the heinous act as they are enemies of the state seeking to curtail the prevailing peaceful environment in the state.

•Photo shows Governor Yero.