No fewer than three people have been killed by bandits, with several others sustaining varying degrees of injury, after armed men invaded Kurawa village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The victims, including the acting village head, Hussaini Yawalle, and two others, were shot dead in the early hours of the day when the attackers struck the village.
In addition to killing the trio, the gunmen reportedly abducted several residents, looted livestock and valuables, before fleeing the scene.
Community sources said the bandits broke through the recently constructed perimeter fence, intended to protect the settlement, before opening fire on residents.
“We alerted the security operatives after hearing that bandits were approaching, but they came in large numbers and shot indiscriminately,” a resident told newsmen on Thursday.
“The attack didn’t last long, but it was brutal. Three people died, and several others were taken away.”
Another resident described the incident as the twentieth attack on Kurawa in recent years, stating that the community’s efforts to secure itself had failed to deter the marauders.
“We built a fence to keep them out, but they still found a way in,” he lamented. “They kidnapped our retired headmaster, Malam Abdullahi, and rustled over 40 cattle. We are living in constant fear now.”
The community, still reeling from repeated assaults, has appealed to authorities for a stronger military presence and enhanced surveillance to curb the persistent killings.
“We’ve lost our leaders and elders, people who held our community together,” one villager said. “We can’t continue like this. The government must act fast to save what’s left of us.”
