Suspected bandits have killed two residents, injured three others and abducted five people in a fresh attack on Kwaren Gamba community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attackers, who stormed the village at about 12:45 a.m. on Sunday, caught residents off guard, forcing many to flee for safety.
Those killed were identified as Nasiru Ibrahim, popularly known as Nasiru Dan Tanin, and Mansir Sani.
The injured victims are Halilu Mai Shago, Hamisu Dan Musa and Abdulwahab Salihu, popularly known as Jari and are currently receiving medical treatment at a health facility.
Residents said those abducted include Saifullahi Saminu, Abdullahi Salihu Dogo and three women.
Residents, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said there was no prior intelligence about the movement of the attackers.
“We didn’t have any information that they were coming. Everyone ran for safety when they entered the village because there was no time to organise any resistance,” one of the residents said.
The resident said the latest attack came barely five days after the same community was attacked by bandits, who abducted five women and an infant.
The women were identified as Safara’u, Halima, Manira, Tasi’u and Marawiyya, while the infant was being carried by one of the women.
According to him, unlike the latest attack, local vigilantes and other residents pursued the gunmen during the previous invasion and chased them to the outskirts of the village. However, the bandits still managed to kidnap the five women and an infant as they were leaving the community.
In another incident in Makuwana village, also in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, another resident told Daily Trust, on condition of anonymity, that suspected bandits invaded the community on June 23 and abducted more than 14 residents.
According to the resident, one of the abductees was later released with a message for the villagers, warning that the bandits would return to launch another attack.
The resident said the gunmen returned on Saturday night as earlier threatened but failed to abduct anyone. They, however, rustled livestock belonging to Salihu Mai Dan Hannu and Yasir Ibrahim.
The residents appealed to the Federal and Sokoto State Governments to deploy security personnel to Kwaren Gamba, Makuwana and other vulnerable communities in Sabon Birni LGA, saying the communities have remained without security despite repeated attacks.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were unsuccessful as calls and Whatsapp message sent to him were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
