SCORES of traders, farmers and travellers were abducted by armed bandits on a major road leading to the popular Sabon Birni Market in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in the latest wave of insecurity troubling communities across the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that the residents said the attackers blocked a strategic route linking Sabon Birni and several surrounding communities before launching the assault on people heading to the weekly market.
According to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen arrived around 10 a.m. on Wednesday on nearly 20 motorcycles and immediately opened fire, causing panic among travellers, traders and farmers moving through the area.
One eyewitness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the attackers stormed the area from different directions and began shooting indiscriminately before abducting numerous victims.
“We were sitting near the bridge when we saw them approaching on motorcycles. They started shooting from different directions and abducted travellers, farmers and some women working on nearby farms,” he said.
The witness estimated that at least 20 people were taken away during the attack.
“It happened right before my eyes. Some of the victims were forced onto motorcycles and taken into the forest. When the motorcycles became full, the bandits tied some victims together in pairs and marched them into the bush on foot. Men were tied to men using their clothes, while women were tied together with their hijabs. Gunshots were everywhere,” he added.
Among those abducted was the mother of a resident identified simply as Abdurrashid, who said the woman was working on a farm when the attackers struck.
“My mother was working on the farm when they took her. Because my father is sick, she is the one taking care of us. I have now taken my younger siblings to stay with our grandparents,” he said, describing the hardship the family now faces.
Another resident explained that the attackers did not enter Sabon Birni town itself but operated around Mangwaron Bullun, a strategic junction connecting several communities, including Katsira, Zakin Ganga, Maskin Wuya, Garin Dango, Garin Gardi, Garin Bage and Zududu.
He noted that the exact number of victims remained uncertain, as many families were still searching for relatives who had not returned home.
“Some people may only be discovered missing after the closing of the market, when they fail to return home. Since Wednesday is the day of the Sabon Birni market, many of those abducted were traders heading there for business,” he said.
When contacted, the member representing Sabon Birni Constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Aminu Boza, said he would verify the incident.
However, he had not provided further details as of the time of filing this report despite repeated follow-up calls.
Efforts to obtain comments from the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, Ahmad Rufai, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone were neither answered nor returned.