GUNMEN suspected to be bandits have killed an Imam and three other residents while abducting 12 people during a midnight attack on Illela Dawagware village in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
News Point Nigeria reports that residents disclosed that the heavily armed attackers invaded the village at about 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, arriving on approximately nine motorcycles before unleashing terror on the community.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants, estimated to be about 30 in number, operated in the village for nearly 30 minutes, firing sporadically as frightened residents struggled to escape the assault.
A resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said villagers attempted to resist the attackers but were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the gunmen.
He explained that the bandits first stormed the residence of the village Imam, where they killed the Islamic cleric alongside three other persons before moving from house to house, abducting several residents.
“They killed our Imam, his neighbour and one other. They later abducted 12 people, comprising eight women and four men,” the resident said.
The victims who lost their lives in the attack were identified as Mallam Liman Lawwali Na Ande, Lawwali Na Lami and Abdullahi Haruna.
Those abducted during the raid include Amiru, Hauwa, Awwalu and nine other residents whose identities were not immediately disclosed.
The source further revealed that another resident, Alhaji Samaila, sustained a gunshot injury during the attack, with the bullet reportedly fracturing one of his hands. He is currently receiving treatment at a health facility in Sokoto.
Residents also accused security operatives of failing to respond to repeated distress calls while the attack was ongoing.
“We called security personnel in Goronyo for reinforcement and even offered to provide money for fuel, but they did not come,” the source alleged.
The resident described the latest incident as the 24th attack recorded in the village, lamenting that the community had continued to suffer repeated assaults by armed bandits over the years.
“They came two years ago and killed seven people from 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 burial of the slain Imam, said the latest attack had thrown the community into fear and uncertainty, adding that many villagers had resolved not to spend the night in the village again.
“They will now sleep at the IDPs camp in Goronyo because they fear another attack,” the resident said.
The community appealed to the Federal Government, the Sokoto State Government and relevant security agencies to urgently intervene and bring an end to the recurring attacks that have continued to threaten lives and livelihoods in the area.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were unsuccessful, as telephone calls and text messages sent to him were neither answered nor acknowledged as of the time of filing this report.