A fresh bandit attack on Lajinge village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State has left at least 12 people dead, with six victims reportedly burnt alive after gunmen set a house on fire during the overnight assault.
According to residents, the attackers stormed the community around 11:00 p.m. on Saturday and operated until about 3:30 a.m. on Sunday without any security intervention.
Witnesses said 11 victims were killed by gunfire, while a woman identified as Agada died after collapsing from shock. Six others, including a father and his two sons, were trapped inside a room where they had sought refuge. The attackers allegedly poured petrol on the building and set it ablaze before shooting at anyone attempting to escape.
The victims burnt to death were identified as Mallam Wauro, popularly known as Mallam Roro, his sons Ukasha and Mujaheed, two relatives—Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami—and an internally displaced person (IDP) who had been sheltering in the house.
Another victim, Lawwali, was shot dead while trying to flee, while several others, including internally displaced persons, were also killed as they attempted to escape the village.
Residents said local vigilantes were overwhelmed by the heavily armed attackers, who moved from house to house stealing cattle and sheep after forcing the vigilantes to retreat.
The gunmen also abducted two wives of the slain household head and rustled all his livestock. Although many villagers were reportedly kidnapped, some children were later released by the attackers.
Community members condemned the absence of security forces, saying repeated distress calls during the four-hour attack received no response despite security personnel being stationed in nearby communities.
They appealed to the federal and state governments to urgently deploy security personnel to protect the area, noting that eight people were also killed in the same community about three weeks ago.
The spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said he was yet to receive details of the incident but promised to verify the report.
Editor's Note: The photograph accompanying the original report was used for illustration purposes.
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: