Two heavily pregnant women were among five residents abducted by suspected bandits during an attack on Maiwa Village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The victims, identified as Sadiya Umar, Ubaida Musa, Firdausi Umar, Maryam Musa, and Harira Nura, were reportedly taken after the assailants stormed homes and a village mosque.
According to a local source, the armed men arrived in the community on seven motorcycles at about 5 p.m., firing gunshots into the air and throwing residents into disarray before whisking the victims away.
“They came and met us sitting at the mosque. When they started shooting, I ran toward the police, but they chased me,” the source said. “After I escaped, they went from house to house, abducting the victims.”
The source added that both heavily pregnant women are expected to deliver soon, and disclosed that the gunmen also rustled 12 cows during the attack, although they were later returned.
The incident reportedly forced many residents to flee temporarily to neighbouring Niger Republic, returning only the following morning.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Sokoto State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, for comment were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not answered.
