Six children, who were being scurried out by their mothers to escape from bandits’ gunfire, drowned in a dam during heavy rainfall in Kasai village, Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State late Friday, our correspondent gathered on Saturday.
People suspected to be bandits had attacked the residence of a businessman, Alhaji Yunusa Rugabza, killing him on the spot.
Sporadic gunshots then followed amidst heavy rainfall, leading to the mass escape of villagers.
In the stampede, nine women ran into a dam with some children, and six of the children drowned.
The district head of Batsari, Tukur Muazu Rumah, said the fleeing women fell into the dam with their children, and six children aged between five and seven years died in the dam.
“One of the babies was being backed by his mother, as they fell into the water the wrapper loosened and the water washed away the baby,” he said.
He said their bodies were brought out of the water and search for the remaining ones would continue.
“We don’t know what else to do with these bandits, they have stopped us from going to our farms, they will send in their cattle to any farm to eat whatever we plant,” he said.
The police were yet to respond to enquiries on the incident before press time on Saturday.
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