Shooting: Police beef up security across Kano metropolis

Security operatives, especially police have been deployed to strategic areas in Kano following report of gunshots around the Zone 1 headquarters of the police in the state.

Although the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, debunked the report of the gunshots, many residents insisted there was shooting in the area on Friday.

Similarly, shortly after the reported shooting, normalcy returned but later in the evening, vehicular movements were restricted to a single lane on the ever-busy BUK road where the gunshots were heard.

In the same vein, the access road to the Government House on State Road was also blocked, with motorists taking alternate road.

Other locations like the Mobile Police Squadron on Maiduguri Road in Hotoro area of Kano metropolis were also on the watchful eyes of fully armed security operatives.

A top security official in the state, who craved anonymity, said the reason for condoning off the road was over the “incident” along the BUK road.

The source said the joint security team in the state was working on the intelligence that the incident may not be unconnected to suspected Boko Haram terrorists, insisting however that “there is no cause for alarm”.

The Star had earlier reported on Friday afternoon that gunmen in three vehicles opened fire at about 12:30 p.m. at the police zonal headquarters and fled the scene.

Police sources had denied that there was no attack or attempted attack on the police building but it was a case of reported stolen vehicles that a tactical unit of the police were on the chase.

The Star, however, observed that there unusual movements of security personnel’s sirens in Kano metropolis on Friday night.

The Star