Zaria — Joint Task Force (JTF) operatives yesterday in Zaria killed three people and destroyed three houses during an early morning raid in Chikaji and Kwantareshen area of the city.

Witnesses said the operatives stormed the Tudun Muntsari area of Chikaji in Sabon Gari, Zaria and opened fire sporadically.

"There were heavy sounds of what I suspected to be explosives and gunshots everywhere. The sound raged throughout the night and up to this (yesterday) morning, we couldn't move outside our houses, not even for the early morning prayers because everybody was afraid.

"When the sound of the gunshots subsided, we went out and discovered that the military men had killed three people. They went with two corpses and some other people they shot on the leg. They also demolished one house completely and partly demolished two others," a resident of Tudun Muntsira said on condition of anonymity.

Kaduna State Commissioner of Police Olufemi Adenaike, in a text message reply to the incident, simply said "No please."

The Commandant and the spokesman of the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria did not reply the text messages sent to them.

It was gathered that one of the deceased, Hamza, has been on sick bed for over five months before he was killed yesterday. He was buried according to Islamic rites yesterday having left behind his mother, Saratu Mai Kayan Miya.

It was also gathered that one of the two deceased whose bodies the men of the JTF went with is known as Kabiru and his wife, Saratu, has since packed her belongings from the Tudun Muntsira area.