At least 13 persons have been reportedly killed and 73 others abducted including women and children in the eastern part of Sokoto State by bandits.
The attacks took place in different communities across three local government areas including Sabon Birni.
It was gathered that the communities were attacked almost at the same time on Monday, December 26.
Speaking to Daily Trust, a traditional title holder in Sabon Birni, who sought for anonymity, said three communities were attacked in his local government area and 11 persons were killed.
The communities were Gatawa and Dangari where six persons were killed, two at Gatawa and three at Kurawa.
Corroborating this, the leader of the vigilante group in Sabon Birni, Musa Muhammad, and the legislative member representing Sabon Birni South Constituency at the state House of Assembly, Aminu Almustapha Boza, said the deceased were killed on the farm around 5pm on Monday.
Boza said several persons have been kidnapped by the attackers.
The Chairman of Goronyo LGA, Abdulwahab Goronyo, who decried incessant attacks on the communities, said two persons were killed while 23 others were kidnapped in Shinaka and Kagara communities last Monday.
Similarly, the member representing Gada East Constituency at the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Dauda, told the publication that over 50 people including women and children were abducted by bandits in the area on Monday.
“I cannot give the exact number of people killed during the attacks but as I am talking to you, many of our people who sustained injuries are receiving treatment in different hospitals,” he said.
Dauda lamented that despite their numerous complaints about their fragile security situation, nothing was done to address the problem.
“We complained to the Commissioner for Security, the DSS and the police because we know the routes used by these bandits to carry out their attacks on our communities but all our efforts were in vein,” he said.
He, however, called for the redeployment of more security operatives in the areas.
A member of one of the Gatawa community, Mahee Umar Gatawa shared photos from the burial of the victims on Facebook and wrote;
“AUWAL RABIU, Zayyanu Sabiu and 5 others may your soul continue to rest in Jannatul firdaus. In the early hours of today 26/12/2022 @ around 11:am, I was appealing to him on his missed call I was not able to picked 5days back, and he replied with consideration. Just in less than an hour to hear the unlimited gun’s shots everywhere by bandits, and a few moments later we washed, pray janaza and finally accompanied them to their final rest place ( grave ) We shall continue to pray for your souls which you sacrificed for the peace of our communities. INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI RAJI’UN.” he wrote.
