By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

Despite the emergency rule and the deployment of over 3000 soldiers in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, some gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect Friday shot dead provision store dealer, Mr. Bitrus Kwaji and his son, while one child suspected to be almajiri was killed by a stray bullet in Chescon area of Federal low cost estate of the metropolis.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen who ambushed the trader at his residence around 6:30pm, successfully executed their mission and fled without being arrested.

A neighbour to the victims who does not want his name mention in print for security reasons told our reporter that “the gunmen upon arrival at the residence of Mr. Bitrus asked one almajiri boy to enter the house and told the trader to come out as some people/customers were outside and wanted to buy things from the store. When Mr. Bitrus, his son and the almajiri boy came out to attend to their customers, the gunmen opened fire and killed them.”

Due to the total GSM network blackout in Borno, the JTF Spokesman’s number, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa and the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin could not be reached for confirmation as at the time of going to press.