Bandits have abducted nine residents, shot another person and rustled more than 200 livestock during an attack on Illelar Dawagari community in Kagara Ward, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attackers reportedly stormed the community at about 8:30pm on Saturday, according to a resident who spoke to Daily Trust.
The resident said one of the shooting victims, Saminu Arzika, had stepped outside the community to defecate when he noticed the shadows of the bandits.
He said Arzika directed his torchlight towards the men and saw the attackers. According to him, when Arzika attempted to shine the light at them again, the bandits ordered that he be shot.
The resident said Arzika ran towards the community but was pursued by the attackers, who shot him. He added that the gunshot alerted other residents, forcing them to flee into a nearby bush for safety.
Recounting his own experience, the resident said he had just finished eating at home before leaving to purchase medicine.
He said that after buying the medicine, he went to another shop to purchase a bottle of mineral drink when he suddenly heard the sound of gunfire.
According to him, he immediately fled, jumping over the walls of several houses before eventually reaching the bush.
The resident said the bandits remained in the community until about 11pm, moving from one house to another while taking away livestock estimated to be more than 200.
He added that nine people were abducted during the attack, including five males and four females.
Among those taken away, he said, were Maryam Yusuf, Rukayya Abdu and a widow, Maryam Abdullahi. The remaining victims, he added, were children between the ages of 10 and 15 whose names were not immediately known.
The resident further disclosed that another community member was still being held captive despite the payment of N1 million ransom by his family, saying the abductors were now demanding a Bajaj motorcycle for his release.
When contacted, the Sokoto State Police Command spokesman, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said he would verify the incident and provide details.
However, he had yet to respond as of the time this report was filed.
Kagara Ward in Goronyo Local Government Area has continued to experience security challenges, as residents have reported repeated attacks in the area.
Recall that in June, the Chief Imams of Dawagari and Kuda-Kuda villages were killed, while some residents were also abducted.
