Suspected bandits have killed two people and abducted 20 others in two separate attacks in Sokoto State within 24 hours.
In the first incident, gunmen attacked Malamawar Yari village in Kware Local Government Area at about 11:40 p.m. on Tuesday, killing two persons and abducting 11 others.
The victims killed were identified as Abubakar Buntu and Abubakar Bello. Among those abducted were eight women and three men, including a small child. Seven members of a single family were reportedly kidnapped from one house, while two women each were taken from two other houses.
An eyewitness said the attackers stormed the village through a path linking it with Rabah Local Government Area, shooting sporadically and forcing residents to flee.
“They came through the eastern flank, killed two persons, injured two others, and abducted eleven,” the source said.
The two injured victims are receiving treatment — one at a health facility in Sokoto and the other at home. One was shot in the hand and the other in the leg.
Residents lamented the lack of adequate security presence in the village, which has an estimated population of about 5,000.
“We need more security operatives. They usually come through the forest in Rabah. If security personnel are properly deployed, these attacks can be stopped,” the source added.
In a separate attack the following night, suspected bandits invaded Chacho community in Wurno Local Government Area at about 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
The gunmen abducted nine persons — seven women and two elderly men — and injured two others.
A relative of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers gained access through a route linked to the notorious Sabon Birni forest.
“Many of us were sleeping outside when we heard gunshots. We fled for safety, but they abducted nine people and injured two,” he said.
Residents of Chacho also decried the absence of security operatives despite the community’s large population.
“We are calling on the Sokoto State Government and security agencies to deploy police and soldiers to protect our lives and property,” the relative added.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed both incidents but said he had only received sketchy reports.
“I heard about the killings and abductions, but the exact numbers are still being verified,” Rufai said. He promised to get more details from the Divisional Police Officer in the affected areas. The two attacks have left residents of Kware and Wurno LGAs in fear, with many calling for urgent deployment of security personnel to rural communities
