The ancient city of Kontagora, the headquarters of Kontagora Local Government Area, Niger State was on Thursday thrown into confusion as suspected armed bandits attacked the area and shot dead the eldest son of the Emir, Alhaji Bashar Saidu Namaska in his father’s farm.
Late Bashar Saidu was said to be on his father’s farm at Zuru, in Masuga village one of the border towns with Kebbi state Thursday evening with some other workers that accompanied him to the farm when they were attacked by the armed bandits.
Apart from killing the first Class Emir’s son and some people working for the family with him on the farmland, sources told newsmen that the armed bandits also rustled an unspecified number of cows.
While the operation lasted, the armed bandits were said to have flagged down both Commercial and private vehicles plying the road, collected their items including mobile telephones, cash and other valuables.
Some of the travellers who had no cash on them were said to have received the beating of their life for having no cash, no valuable items while at the same time abducted many others and disappeared into the nearby bush.
The late Bashar who holds the traditional title, ‘Sardauna Kontagora’ had been holding forth for his father, Sarkin Sudan of Kontagora, Alhaji Saidu Namaska who had been bedridden for some months now.
A top government official who craved anonymity confirmed the attacks. “It is true that armed bandits invaded Kontagora town and shot several people and killed the Emir’s son, Alhaji Bashar”.
“His death will be formally announced in due course and also buried immediately according to Islamic burial rites”.
The source said efforts were made to save the late Emir’s son which unfortunately yielded no positive results. “He was rushed to the hospital immediately he was shot but confirmed dead almost immediately he got to the hospital”.
