Gunmen have killed a councillorship candidate in Pari Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Raymond Timothy, and his brother, James Timothy, in the state.

Raymond was vying for the position on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was gathered that the councillorship candidate was killed alongside his brother on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

A PDP chieftain in Kauru Local Government, Barnabas Chawai, disclosed that the victims were killed while returning on a motorcycle from a political campaign at Kizachi village in Pari Ward.

Chawai, who said the killing could be politically motivated, called on security agencies to swing into action and ensure the gunmen are brought to book.

“Drastic measures need to be put in place to forestall further occurrence as we approach the October 19 local government election.

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“The victim had three children and the wife was pregnant and expecting a fourth child,” the PDP chieftain told Punch.

Also speaking on the incident, the Secretary to the Village Head of Kizachi, John Wanneh, disclosed that they were together with Raymond at about 6 p.m. on Sunday and parted ways for the councillorship candidate to return home to Bakin-Kogi.

Wanneh said: “It was not more than 10 to 15 minutes when we parted ways that we heard gunshots around some guinea corn farms.

“Honestly, we cannot be able to say who are those that committed this crime or say the killing was connected to politics or not.”

He, however, appealed to the government to construct a bridge and road for easy accessibility in an emergency, saying: “Security operatives cannot enter the village now because of the bad nature of the road and there’s a river which they cannot cross; that has been our situation for long.”

The Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, has yet to speak on the incident as of press time.

The Star