Seven Sallah visitors among 17 killed in Sokoto bandit attack

No fewer than 17 persons, including seven Sallah visitors, have been killed following a deadly attack by bandits on Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Residents told Daily Trust that the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons and riding on about 150 motorcycles, stormed the community on Sunday morning, opening fire on villagers, looting shops and forcing many residents to flee into nearby forests. A resident of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, alleged that the bandits had earlier departed from Bagega village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, which residents believe serves as one of their major hideouts. According to him, the attackers moved through Barayar Zaki in neighbouring Bukkuyum Local Government Area before arriving at Gizazza village, where they reportedly spent the night before launching the attack. Residents Displaced as Windstorm Destroys Houses, Schools in Sokoto Court jails woman for operating illegal pharmacy in Cross River “We received information about their movement on Saturday. They came from Bagega and passed through Barayar Zaki before reaching Gizazza. Usually, whenever they want to attack our communities, they spend the night there and move in the following morning,” he said. The source said the bandits entered Dangulbi village between 10am and 11am on Sunday and immediately began shooting indiscriminately. “They started firing sporadically as soon as they arrived. People ran in different directions looking for safety, but 17 persons were killed during the attack,” he said. Some of the victims were identified as Munde, Nagoma, Abdullahi, Danbala, Munden Chana, Muhammadu Dan Amo, Hassan, Abubakar Danbaba and Yidi Bafillace. The resident said five of the victims were Sallah visitors from Adarawa, Gummi LGA of Zamfara state, while two others were visitors from Gidan Gambo in Shagari Local Government Area, bringing the total number of visitors killed in the attack to seven. He further alleged that the attackers remained in the community for several hours after the killings and prevented residents from conducting funeral rites for the victims. “They stayed in the village and nobody could come out to bury the dead bodies. It was only after about 7pm when they finally left that residents returned. Funeral prayers for the victims were eventually conducted after 9:30pm,” he said. According to him, some of the motorcycles used by the attackers carried two riders, with others carrying three, while residents hid in nearby forest throughout the attack as the bandits looted about 20 shops and carted away goods. Many residents, he added, have since abandoned their homes and sought refuge in neighbouring communities and local government areas, including Gummi, Shagari, Tureta and Bukkuyum. After leaving Dangulbi on Sunday evening, the attackers reportedly moved through other nearby communities, including Kukoki and Birnin Magaji, where they abducted some residents. The source alleged that the bandits told the captives they would not release them unless petrol was provided for their motorcycles. “They took some people away and said they would not release them until fuel was supplied for their motorcycles. They later moved the victims towards Gizazza village,” he said. According to him, a rainstorm that occurred on Sunday night created an opportunity for the abductees to escape from their captors. “The rain started at night and, in the confusion that followed, those who were abducted managed to escape,” he added. The resident, however, alleged that the attackers returned to communities around Dangulbi on Monday morning and continued their activities. “After the victims escaped, the bandits came back into some of our neighbouring villages this morning and continued shooting. As I am speaking to you now, I am hiding somewhere and I can still hear gunshots,” he said. He appealed to both the federal and Sokoto State governments to urgently intervene and deploy more security personnel to the area. “We have been suffering repeated attacks for a long time, yet we hardly get the support we need. If urgent action is not taken, our people may not even be able to go to their farms this season,” he said. He recalled that the latest attack was one of several deadly incidents recorded in the area in recent weeks. “About two weeks ago, more than 20 people were killed in another attack. There was also a separate incident in which about 10 people lost their lives. Since the Eid-el-Fitr celebration, we have hardly experienced peace because the bandits keep invading our communities almost every day,” he said. Another resident, who also requested anonymity, attributed part of the security challenges facing the area to poor road infrastructure. He said the absence of accessible roads often delays security responses and makes life difficult for residents. “We are located deep inside the forest and we do not have good roads. In fact, we are closer to Bukkuyum, Gummi and Shagari than to our local government headquarters in Tureta. “We appeal to the government to construct roads in this area. Better roads will help security personnel respond faster and will also improve the lives of residents,” he said. The resident also warned that continued insecurity could negatively affect farming activities in the area, as many villagers are now afraid to return to their farmlands. When contacted, the spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command said the command was aware of the incident and that security operatives were currently on top of the situation.