Suspected bandits killed eleven people in two villages in Sokoto State’s Gandi District of the Rabbah Local Government Area within a week.
A source who spoke with our correspondent from one of the affected villages confirmed that the attacks that were launched in Gidan-Buwai and Maikujera within the local government also resulted in the rustling of over 300 animals.
The separate attacks occurred in the two communities in less than a week.
The source, who gave his name as Salisu Gandi, said the bandits who attacked the Gidan-Buwai community arrived at the village on Monday night.
“They also rustled over 100 cows, 200 sheep, and goats belonging to the community members as well as some residents of the community in the process,” he said.
Gandi further explained that the insurgents riding motorcycles numbering over 100 arrived and surrounded Gidan-Buwai village with sophisticated weapons and immediately started shooting, indiscriminately killing and injuring others.
He described the attack as the worst incident as the bandit razed many houses, over 60 silos, 10 motorcycles, and five vehicles, while seven people sustained various degrees of injuries.
According to him, the bandit also burgled many shops and stole essential commodities and food items.
The gunmen also hunted vigilante members in the villages, where they intensified a house-to-house search of the vigilante members.
However, a few days ago, the bandit also attacked Maikujera village and killed five, while many people sustained various degrees of injuries.
Victims who sustained injuries were admitted to the trauma centre of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital.
When contacted, the spokesman for the state police command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the incident but declined to comment on the figures.
He assured residents that the Nigerian Police would make their findings known to the general public upon completion of their investigations.
In a related development, there was also a report of another attack in the early hours of Wednesday in Maikara village, Kware Local Government area of the state.
One of the residents of the village who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity said the gunmen killed two people, a father and his son, in the attack.
He also disclosed that five people were kidnapped by the gunmen during the raid, which he said took almost two hours.
