Kaduna State Government has confirmed the killing of 8 persons by some bandits along Kaduna-Kachia road and other locations in Kajuru and Kachia Local Government Areas of the State.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, made the confirmation in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

However, the alleged abduction was not mentioned by the commissioner.

It was gathered that 25 passengers, including 19 female members of Anglican Church, were abducted during the attack on the road in the early hours of Tuesday.

Aruwan stated that “On a sad note, security agencies have reported the killing of eight persons in separate incidents in Kajuru and Kachia local government areas.

“In one incident, armed bandits barricaded the Kaduna-Kachia road around Kadanye village in Kajuru LGA and opened fire on a bus as well as a truck carrying firewood.

“Five people were killed in the attack, listed as: Alfred Makinde (the driver of the bus), Abdulrahman Dela, Dauda Adamu, Umar Dauda and Abdulrasheed Musa.

 “Three persons were injured, and are receiving treatment in hospital. They are: Murtala Ibrahim, Ali Manager and Abdullahi (full name unknown)

“Similarly, armed bandits barricaded the Kaduna-Kachia road at the Doka axis of Kajuru LGA and shot at a truck, killing the driver.

“In Kachia LGA, armed bandits invaded a herders settlement in Inlowo village, and killed one Ibrahim Alhaji Haruna, before carting away 180 cows.

“At Akilbu village in Kachia LGA, armed bandits shot at a vehicle, injuring two persons, Mansur Ibrahim and Muhammadu Aminu. Mansur Ibrahim later died in hospital while Muhammadu Aminu continues to receive treatment.”

An eyewitness begged anonymity revealed nine lifeless bodies at different spots were sighted while a bus conveying Anglican Church members was abandoned with its occupants forced into the forest.

He added that those that got killed were in a truck carrying firewood while the kidnapped persons included 19 occupants of an Anglican Church bus and six others from a Gulf-4 saloon car.

”Bus carrying church women, 19 of them and Golf-4 car with six persons were kidnapped. But those killed were in a truck loaded with firewood,” he said.