By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
The Sokoto State Government, on Wednesday, commiserated with victims of the Gidan Bawa incident where terrorists were said to have burnt a vehicle conveying passengers from Sabon Birni enroute to other regions of the country.
The state government however debunked reports by several media platforms that over 40 persons lost their lives in the razed vehicle.
A statement by Muhammad Bello, the spokesperson to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said only 23 persons lost their lives during the attack.
The statement further admitted that aside from the 23 persons that died, 6 others sustained minor injuries and are receiving treatment at a hospital, adding also that 3 persons in the same vehicle have been discharged
"Contrary to speculations that over 40 people lost their lives in a bandits attack on a 42-seater bus traveling to Kaduna on Monday, facts have emerged that only 23 people lost their lives during an attack at Gidan Bawa village in Isa local government area of Sokoto state.
"Security chiefs in Sokoto state, comprising heads of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Police, Department of State Security and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as the Chairmen of Isa and Sabon Birni local government areas, had briefed the state Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on the incident at the Government House, Sokoto on Wednesday, pledging to work with it on modalities to checkmate future occurrences".
While condoling with the families of the victims and wishing those hospitalized a quick recovery, governor Tambuwal also prayed for the repose of the souls of all the deceased.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police (CP) Kamaladeen Kolawole, has assured that they have put in place strategies to ensure that such tragic incidents will not happen again when he briefed Governor Tambuwal.
He also assured that security agencies have been adequately mobilized to the spot of the attack and immediately mounted a patrol that is still ongoing on the 30 kilometers stretch of road between Gidan Bawa, the attack spot in Sokoto state, and Shinkafi town in Zamfara state. NNL
