Joy Baba-Yesufu and Attah Ede
No fewer than seven people, including three worshippers, were killed when heavily armed bandits attacked Tsamaye Village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in a six-hour assault that also left several residents abducted and property destroyed.
Residents said the attackers stormed the community at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday and remained in the village until about 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, moving from house to house, rustling livestock, looting valuables and firing sporadically.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants first surrounded security operatives stationed in the village, opening fire on them and preventing them from responding to distress calls while other members of the gang unleashed terror on residents.
“We were sitting after the Isha’i prayer when the bandits invaded our village. They surrounded the security personnel and pinned them down, while others moved from house to house, rustling livestock, looting valuables and abducting residents,” the source said.
According to the resident, seven bodies were recovered after the attackers fled, including three victims who were killed inside a mosque during the attack.
He explained that five of those killed were internally displaced persons who had sought refuge in Tsamaye after fleeing repeated bandit attacks on neighbouring communities, while the remaining two were indigenes of the village.
The attackers also reportedly broke into several shops, looted goods, set a vehicle ablaze and burnt two shops before fleeing.
Residents said the exact number of abducted persons could not immediately be confirmed as many villagers escaped into surrounding bushes during the attack.
However, the source said the abduction of at least three residents had been confirmed after relatives called the victims’ phone numbers and the bandits answered, confirming that the victims were in their custody.
The attackers were also said to have made away with an unspecified number of livestock.
The resident commended the security personnel stationed in the community for previous efforts to protect residents but said they were overwhelmed after being caught off guard during the latest assault.
“Our security personnel have always been doing their best to protect us and neighbouring communities. Unfortunately, this time 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 the details.
“We are aware of the incident but we are yet to get full details as we await it,” he said.
The latest attack underscores the persistent security challenges confronting communities in Sabon Birni and other parts of eastern Sokoto, where bandit attacks, kidnappings and cattle rustling have continued despite ongoing security operations.
