…Abduct residents
At least seven people, including three worshippers killed inside a mosque, lost their lives while several residents were abducted after armed bandits attacked Tsamaye village, in Sabon-Birni local government area of Sokoto State.
Residents said the heavily armed attackers stormed the community at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and remained until about 3:00 a.m yesterday, spending more than six hours attacking residents, rustling livestock, looting valuables and firing sporadically.
An eyewitness said the bandits first surrounded security personnel stationed in the village, pinning them down with gunfire and preventing them from responding, before moving from house to house to abduct residents and steal property.
According to the source, three displaced persons were shot dead inside a mosque during the attack, while the total death toll rose to seven after villagers recovered more bodies as of yesterday morning. Two of the victims were indigenes of Tsamaye, while the remaining five were displaced persons who had fled neighbouring communities due to repeated bandit attacks. The attackers also looted shops, set a vehicle ablaze, burnt two shops and made away with an unspecified number of livestock.
Residents said the exact number of abductees was still unknown, as many villagers fled into nearby bushes during the assault. However, the abduction of at least three people was confirmed after relatives called their phone numbers and the bandits answered, confirming the victims were in their custody.
The spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the incident, saying the Command was aware of the attack but was still awaiting comprehensive details.
