At least five people have been killed and several others abducted after bandits simultaneously attacked three communities in the Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The affected communities are Dinawa, Munƙi and Gidan Dare.
SaharaReporters gathered from community sources that the attackers took advantage of the heavy rainfall on Tuesday night to invade the communities while residents were seeking shelter from the rainstorm.
A community source told SaharaReporters that the attack on Dinawa began at about 10:30 p.m., with the bandits moving from house to house, looting valuables and destroying properties.
“They came when the rain was very heavy. People were inside their houses trying to protect themselves from the rain when the bandits started moving from house to house,” the source said.
The source added that five residents were killed during the attack, while an unspecified number of people were taken away by the assailants.
“Five people were killed. Some others were taken away by the bandits, but we cannot give the exact number yet because many families are still trying to account for their loved ones,” another community source told SaharaReporters.
The sources also alleged that the attackers were brought into Dinawa in an unidentified vehicle before launching the operation.
SaharaReporters further learned that the bodies of the five deceased residents were expected to be buried on Wednesday morning according to Islamic rites.
“They are preparing to bury the people who were killed this morning according to Islamic rites. The community is mourning because these were people who were simply in their homes when the attackers came,” a resident said.
In Munƙi and Gidan Dare communities, the bandits reportedly rustled an unspecified number of cattle and stole valuables belonging to residents.
Residents said the simultaneous attacks had heightened fear across the affected communities, with many people worried about the safety of their families and property.
The latest attacks come amid continuing concerns over banditry and abductions in parts of Sokoto State, where rural communities have repeatedly come under attack by armed groups.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact number of abducted residents remained unclear.
(SaharaReporters)