Kaduna – The newly deployed Police Commissioner in Kaduna State, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, said on Saturday that the gunmen who attacked villagers in Nayida Talakkwacha were on reprisal mission.

The gunmen, who attacked the villagers in the Chickun Local Government Area of the state, killed no fewer than 10 persons, including a pastor, injuring five others.

Abubakar, who addressed reporters in Kaduna after visiting the scene of the incident, said the attackers, were relations of  victims of the April 2011 post election crisis.

“ The attack appeared to be a reappraisal by relations of those who were victims of the post-general election crisis in April 2011 in Kaduna State that lost their lives and property.“

The Commissioner, however, said that the investigation so far showed that the attackers came from somewhere as “ all the ethnic groups in the area are living happily together“.

Abubakar blamed the inability of security men to rescue the villagers, to the distance of the village, which was about four hours drive from the closest Police Station, the Sabon Tasha Police Division.

“ One of the challenges was that there was no communication network of any of the service providers and the victims have problem contacting the police or any of the law enforcement agencies.

“The police responded to the distress call as soon we got the information, in spite of the long distance and difficult terrain but the attackers had fled before the arrival of our officers and men,“ the commissioner said.

He said that the police had beefed up security in the area, while investigation had commenced but that the police were yet to make any arrest.

The commissioner, who was deployed from the Imo State Police Command, appealed to the public for cooperation to rid the state of miscreants.

Meanwhile, one Cpl. Tanimu Ahmed of the Kaduna State Police Command is currently receiving medical attention at the Military Reference Hospital, Kaduna, following injuries he sustained from an attack by gunmen on Friday night at his Rigasa resident in Kaduna metropolis.

The commissioner, who confirmed the incident said that Ahmed was responding to treatment, while investigation into the incident had commenced. (NAN)