Robbers kill 2 rangers, cart away arms in Kaduna

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 ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna for sunnews

Even as residents of Kaduna State observe the 24-hour curfew, following last Sunday’s bomb and reprisal attacks, two rangers working with Kamuku National Park in Birnin Gwari, a popular town in the state have been killed by gunmen suspected to be armed robbers. The attack, which took place at about 2am on Monday, left Ranger Lawal Nagwaggwo and Ranger Muhammad Hassan dead from gun injuries. 

Confirming the incident to journalists yesterday, Director, Kamuku National Park, Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmad said the gang of armed robbers were said to have come with heavy and sophisticated weapons and attacked the unsuspecting rangers at a patrol formation in a nearby village called Dagara. 

According to Ahmad, indications showed that the robbers, numbering about 15 carted away ammunition used by the patrol formation on motorcycles to carry out their operation. Ahmad said, immediately after the attack, the other rangers in Kamuku National Park, the Police and other security agents from Birnin Gwari trailed the armed robbers and efforts were underway to arrest them. 

In his words: “We commend the Birnin Gwari Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and all relevant security agencies and other authorities for the prompt action taken immediately  they received the report of the unfortunate incident.” 

He, however, described the slain rangers, whom he said had spent more than four years in the service of Kamuku National Park, as hard-working, committed and dedicated workers, who contributed to the preservation of wildlife in the park. 

“Staff and the management have received with deep shock the death of the two rangers and we’ve called on the Federal Government to assist the national park with additional manpower and facilities to facilitate our operations.”  

“I am calling on the neighbouring towns and villages to assist in conserving the National Park, thereby reporting cases of trespass and vandalism to appropriate agencies,” the director said.    Meanwhile, state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Jinjiri Abubakar, who confirmed the incident during a press conference yesterday said, the gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers ambushed the two rangers and carted away 5 rifles made up of two double barrels and three pump action rifles. He, therefore, said the Police were on the trail of the robbers, adding that, “I assure you that, we will round them up and bring them to book