No fewer than three worshippers were shot dead inside a mosque, while several residents were abducted after armed bandits invaded Tsamaye village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Residents told reporters that the assailants, who stormed the village in large numbers at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, remained there until around 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
The attackers reportedly spent over six hours terrorising the community, stealing livestock, looting valuables and shooting intermittently.
An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said villagers recovered the bodies of seven victims on Wednesday morning after the attackers fled.
“We were sitting after the Isha’i prayer when the bandits invaded our village. They first surrounded the security operatives stationed in the community and opened fire on them.
They laid siege to their location, preventing them from coming out, while other members of the group moved from house to house, rustling livestock, looting valuables and abducting residents,” he said.
The resident said three of the victims were killed inside a mosque during the attack, adding that all of them were displaced persons who had fled from neighbouring communities following persistent bandit attacks.
He further disclosed that the gunmen broke into several shops, carted away goods, set a vehicle on fire and burnt two shops before leaving the community.
The source said the exact number of abducted persons could not immediately be determined because many residents escaped into surrounding bushes during the attack.
“We believe some people escaped because of the confusion. It is only later today that we may be able to ascertain the actual number of those abducted,” he said.
He added that the attackers made away with an unspecified number of livestock.
According to him, two of those killed were natives of Tsamaye, while the remaining five were displaced persons from nearby communities who had sought refuge in the village.
The resident said the abduction of at least three persons had been confirmed after relatives called their phone numbers and the bandits answered, confirming that the victims were in their custody.
He said the security operatives stationed in the village were taken by surprise, allowing the bandits to surround and pin them down, thereby preventing them from responding to distress calls from residents.
“Our security personnel have always been doing their best to protect us and even assist neighbouring communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area. This time, however, the bandits took them by surprise and prevented them from coming to our rescue,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command was aware of the incident but was still awaiting comprehensive details.
“We are aware of the incident but we are yet to get full details as we await it,” he said.
