Terrorists kill Imam, 3 others, abduct 12 in Sokoto

SOKOTO—Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed an imam and three other persons and abducted 12 residents during an attack on Illela Dawagware village in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Residents said the attackers stormed the village at about 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, arriving on about nine motorcycles.

The assailants, estimated to be about 30 in number, reportedly operated for nearly 30 minutes, shooting sporadically as they attacked the community.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said villagers attempted to repel the attackers but were overpowered.

According to him, the bandits invaded the residence of the village imam, killed him and three others, and then moved from house to house, abducting 12 residents.

“They killed our imam, his neighbour and two others. They later abducted 12 people, comprising eight women and four men,” he said.

The victims were identified as Mallam Liman Lawwali Na Ande, Lawwali Na Lami, Abdullahi Haruna and another resident.

Those abducted include Amiru, Hauwa, Awwalu and nine others.

The source added that Samaila sustained a gunshot wound that fractured his hand and is currently receiving treatment at a health facility in Sokoto.

Residents also accused security operatives of failing to respond to distress calls during the attack.

“We called security personnel in Goronyo for reinforcement and even offered to provide money for fuel, but they did not come,” the source alleged. He described the latest attack as the 24th recorded assault on the village.

“They came two years ago and killed seven members of the same family inside a mosque. We had not experienced another attack until now. Just last Sunday, some displaced residents returned to the village after spending about two years away,” he said.

Another resident who attended the imam’s burial said fear had gripped the community, forcing many villagers to abandon their homes at night.

“They will now sleep at the IDPs camp in Goronyo because they fear another attack,” he said.

The residents appealed to the federal and Sokoto State governments, as well as security agencies, to take urgent steps to end the recurring attacks.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to him were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
The latest attack came just days after bandits reportedly killed another chief imam and abducted nine residents in Kuda-Kuda village, also in Goronyo Local Government Area.

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