Woman killed in bandit attack on Sokoto village

The attackers came around 7pm, shooting sporadically and setting houses ablaze

One woman has been killed in a bandit attack at Deyeji village in Gudu council area of Sokoto, police has confirmed.

Sokoto police spokesman, DSP Muhammad Sadiq said the bandits shot at three people.

The woman was later confirmed dead at the Usmanu Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

The men are recuperating in the same hospital.

Witnesses said the attackers came around 7pm, shooting sporadically and setting houses ablaze.

“The came to take revenge over their arrest by the army, following our report on their activities.

“The bandits had lived with us for over 30 years and when we realised some of them were into kidnapping and banditry, we reported them to the army who arrested them.

” They were bailed out by a prominent traditional ruler in the area, and since then,  they promised to attack and kill everyone in the village.

“They know that we patrol our area after the sunset prayer every day that was why they launched their attack before the prayer because we are not well prepared at the time,” he said

It was gathered that the attackers came on three motorcycle, each carrying three persons armed with AK47 riffles.

According to the source, the bandits shot five persons, including a woman who later died in the hospital.

The source told Daily Trust that the victims had been evacuated to the General Hospital, Balle  by the army.

“But I later realised that, they were taken to the state capital for advanced medical treatment,” the source said.

Another source told Daily Trust that the casualty were less because, most of the residents had fled into the nearby bush.

He however, revealed that normalcy has since returned to the area as army were currently patrolling the village and the surrounding in the areas.