A 30-year-old widow who survived Monday’s attack on a commercial vehicle heading to Kaduna en route the southern part of the country, has disclosed how she watched her mother, four children and other relatives burn to death.
The woman was travelling to Kaduna with her children, mother, immediate younger brother, a niece and nephew.
Simply identified as Shafa’atu, she said they came under attack by bandits along Sabon Birni-Isa Road.
Shafa’atu, spoke with newsmen before she gave up the ghost hours later, said there were 33 elderly persons and many children in the vehicle when it was attacked by armed men believed to be loyal to Bello Turji, a notorious bandits kingpin terrorising the eastern part of Sokoto.
She said: “They kept firing at our vehicle until it somersaulted three times and burst into flames.
“Only me and one other passenger miraculously came out of the bus, but the other passenger later died from gunshot injuries.
“I lost my four children, three girls, who were grown up, and my 10-month-old baby.
“I watched them, including my mother, maternal uncle, nephew and niece burning to ashes while the attackers were watching with delight.”
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