A journalist with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Zirkallaini Muhammad Inuwa, was attacked by armed robbers in Bauchi city, implying growing security concerns among residents.
Inuwa recounted that after returning from Gombe, he was dropped off at the Central Market in Bauchi, where he boarded a commercial motorcycle (popularly known as an Okada) to take him to the Railway area.
He said the incident occurred along Anguwan Mahaukata, near Bauchi Prison in the heart of Bauchi City.
According to Inuwa, both he and the motorcycle rider were attacked by the armed robbers, who made away with his valuables, including vital work equipment.
He said the robbers had inflicted injuries on the Okada rider before he managed to flee on his bike, leaving the journalist behind.
“I was heading to the Railway area when about ten armed robbers attacked me and the Okada rider. They slashed the rider on the head, but he narrowly escaped with his bike,” Inuwa told WikkiTimes. “They chased me and stole my travel bag, which contained a laptop, a smartphone, a voice recorder, five sets of clothes, and cash amounting to about ₦100,000.”
Following the attack, Inuwa said he reported the incident to the Bauchi Central Market Police Station, where officers assured him that an investigation would be launched.
He, however, said the police confirmed that such incidents frequently occur in that area.
There is a growing security concern among residents as activities of armed robbery is becoming frequent in the city as other residents reported similar experience within the week.
This is coming after Bauchi State government reported that it has spent over 67 billion naira in security expenditure in the last four years.
Muhammad Adamu, a resident, commented on a Facebook post by the journalist, confirming that he too was robbed in broad daylight in the same neighborhood. “May God replenish your losses and prevent future occurrences. I was also attacked on that same street by the same criminals,” he wrote.
In a separate incident, students residing off-campus near the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP) in the Wuntin Dada area claimed they had been robbed of their phones and cooking gas in recent days.
Despite these growing concerns, the Bauchi State Police Command spokesperson, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, did not respond to calls or messages from WikkiTimes seeking comment on the security situation.
