A gang of bandits have killed a Muslim religious leader alongside three other residents and also abducted nine other inhabitants during an attack on residents in a Sokoto State community.
The terrorists killed the cleric, Liman Audu, who held the position of Chief Imak, Liman Audu, and the other three deceased identified as Yahaya Hasanu, Zahara Mu’azu and Ibrahim Dayyabu, causing grief and massive unrest in the area.
Reports informed that Shehu Zaki, Yar Yamma, Khadija and six other residents were the kidnap victim, while three other persons sustained gunshot wounds and being rushed for medical treatment after the bandits fled.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Kuda-Kuda village, Goronyo Local Government Area, the gunmen storming the community at about 12:58 a.m and operated for nearly two hours before leaving.
Community members on described the attack as one of the deadliest incidents to hit the area in recent months, deepening fears over persistent insecurity, adding that the attackers first targeted the residence of Chief Imam Liman Audu before killing him.
Respondents added that the assailants subsequently confronted three young men and ordered them to accompany them into the forest. When the youths reportedly refused, the gunmen opened fire and killed them.
“After killing the Imam, they met three youths and asked them to follow them. When the youths refused, the bandits shot and killed them on the spot,” a resident said.
Residents said the gunmen moved from house to house during the operation, forcibly taking away victims, most of them married women.
The residents added that the attackers also rustled livestock while firing gunshots indiscriminately, forcing many families to flee their homes.
“We were keeping vigil when we suddenly heard gunshots from different directions.
“We ran home, woke our families and fled towards the outskirts of the village to save our lives,” one resident recounted.
Another resident disclosed that three victims who survived the attack suffered severe gunshot injuries.
“The three injured victims were shot in the chest, and the bullets exited through their backs.
“They have been taken to a hospital, but we are worried about their condition,” the resident said.
Furthermore, the residents lamented the absence of timely security intervention, arguing that repeated attacks have continued to expose villagers to danger despite repeated appeals for protection.
One community member noted that the latest incident marked the 11th attack on the settlement, describing the situation as alarming and urging authorities to strengthen security measures to safeguard lives and property.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain official comments from the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Col. Ahmed Usman (Rtd), were unsuccessful, as calls, text messages, and WhatsApp messages sent to them had not been answered as of the time of filing the report.