Bandits Attack Sokoto Community, Kill Four, Abduct Several Victims

Suspected terrorists have attacked the Yartsakuwa community in the Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing four people, according to a survivor of the bloody attack, abducting several women and rustling several heads of livestock.

The attack, which was said to have occurred in the early hours of Sunday, also left several residents injured, raising fresh concerns over the persistent wave of killings and abductions in rural communities across the state.

Besides, one of the survivors, Najeeb Yartsakuwa, disclosed the incident in a Facebook post, saying the attackers invaded his family’s house and abducted his biological sister and four sisters-in-law, alongside other women from the community.

According to him, residents were yet to establish the total number of people taken away, as the assailants reportedly abducted several women from different parts of the community.

“They killed four people, three men and one woman, and injured several others,” he said.

Yartsakuwa expressed sadness over the incident, praying for the safety and release of those abducted, the repose of the souls of the deceased and the quick recovery of the injured.

Meanwhile, a security source confirmed that the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday but gave a different casualty figure.

“Yes, bandits shot and killed three victims, abducted an unspecified number of people and rustled an undisclosed number of livestock,” the source said.

The source further added that policemen and military personnel remained in the area until dawn, while further developments were expected to be communicated.

The discrepancy between the four deaths reported by the survivor and the three recorded by the security source could not immediately be reconciled.

Efforts to obtain the Sokoto State Police Command‘s official position were unsuccessful, as its spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, did not respond to telephone calls as of the time of filing this report.

The latest incident of the activities of bandits, added to a disturbing pattern of attacks in Rabah, where communities have experienced repeated killings, mass abductions and livestock rustling in recent months.