Bandits gun down 2 community guards, five others in Sokoto
Suspected bandits on Monday attacked Maikujera village in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing seven people, including two operatives of the Sokoto Community Guard Corps, in the latest wave of violence in the state. Three women were also reportedly killed in nearby Angamba village during the attack. A security source told our correspondent […]
Suspected bandits on Monday attacked Maikujera village in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing seven people, including two operatives of the Sokoto Community Guard Corps, in the latest wave of violence in the state.
Three women were also reportedly killed in nearby Angamba village during the attack.
A security source told our correspondent that the assailants, who arrived on more than 30 motorcycles, invaded Maikujera at about 2:30 p.m., heavily armed, and opened fire on residents.
The source said the attackers also abducted an unspecified number of people, adding that efforts were ongoing to determine the identities and number of those taken away.
“Four people, including two members of the Sokoto Community Guard Corps, were killed in Maikujera. We are now heading to Angamba where three women were also killed by the bandits,” the source said.
A member of the Sokoto Community Guard Corps, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed the death of the two operatives.
“We rushed to Maikujera to defend the community, but unfortunately we lost two of our men. The bandits were many and came on more than 30 motorcycles,” he said.
He decried what he described as inadequate logistics for security personnel operating in the area, alleging that community guards in Rabah had not been provided with an armoured vehicle.
“We have also been buying cartridges with our personal money because we have run out of ammunition. We have reported the shortage several times, but nothing has been done. Since the corps was established, we have received cartridges only once,” he alleged.
A police officer in the area, who also confirmed the attack, said the assailants crossed into the community from neighbouring Bakura in Zamfara State, attacked residents and retreated into the Bakura forest.
According to the officer, the bandits initially attempted to rustle livestock, but opened fire after some residents resisted.
“The community is just about a 10-minute drive from Rabah town. There is also a military base close to the area, but the troops did not respond before the attackers escaped. By the time we got there, the bandits had already fled,” the officer said.
The latest attack came less than 12 hours after suspected bandits killed four people during an overnight raid on Unguwan Lalle community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to telephone calls at the time of filing this report.