At least 11 people have been k!lled in separate b@ndit att@cks on communities in Rabah and Sabon Birni local government areas of Sokoto State, further heightening concerns over the region’s worsening security situation.
The latest att@ck took place on Monday in Maikujera village, Rabah LGA, where seven people lost their lives, including two operatives of the Sokoto Community Guard Corps (SCGC).
Three women were also k!lled in a similar assault in nearby Angamba village.
The incident occurred less than 24 hours after suspected b@ndits, reportedly dressed in military uniforms, att@cked Unguwan Lalle community in Sabon Birni LGA, k!lling four residents and leaving several others injured.
Security sources said the att@ckers stormed Maikujera on more than 30 motorcycles at about 2:30 p.m., opening fire on residents and @bducting an unspecified number of people.
An SCGC operative confirmed that two members of the corps were k!lled while attempting to defend the community, explaining that the community guards were overwhelmed by the sheer number of att@ckers who arrived on over 30 motorcycles.
He further alleged that the corps was working under difficult conditions due to poor logistics, including the absence of armoured vehicles and inadequate ammunition.
A news correspondent, citing a police source, reported that the att@ckers were believed to have entered the area from Bakura in neighbouring Zamfara State.
The b@ndits reportedly attempted to r*stle livestock and opened fire when residents resisted.
Although a military base is located near the community, security personnel reportedly arrived only after the att@ckers had fled into the Bakura forest.
In the earlier att@ck on Unguwan Lalle, residents said about 200 heavily armed b@ndits dressed in military uniforms stormed the village around 8 p.m. on Sunday and remained in the area for nearly six hours, looting homes and shops, r*stling livestock and shooting at villagers who tried to flee.
One resident recalled that the attackers were initially mistaken for soldiers because of their uniforms before they surrounded the village, opened fire and made away with valuables and animals.
The victims were identified as Bilyaminu Wakkala and Danbaki Tulunawa, while the other two were said to be linked to nearby Kongurus village.
Residents also alleged that the att@ckers struck less than an hour after troops who had responded to an earlier security incident had withdrawn from the community.
The spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the death of a farmer in the area but said details of the Unguwan Lalle att@ck were still being verified.
Sokoto Government orders closure of schools
Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Government has ordered the closure of all public primary and secondary schools outside the state capital over the deteriorating security situation.
The directive, which took effect on Monday, exempts schools in Sokoto North and Sokoto South LGAs, as well as selected schools in Wamakko, Dange Shuni and Kware.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmed Ladan Ala, said the decision followed a directive from the Federal Government aimed at protecting students and staff amid rising insecurity, adding that all affected public schools would remain shut until further notice.
The closure comes as schools enter the final weeks of the third term and prepare for end-of-term examinations scheduled for next week.
