RESIDENTS of Kurawa and neighbouring communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State have alleged that suspected bandits planted another improvised explosive device (IED) along the Sabon Birni–Kurawa road following fresh attacks on villages in the area.
News Point Nigeria reports that the residents claimed the explosive device was planted in the early hours of Sunday to prevent security personnel stationed in Sabon Birni from responding promptly to distress calls during the attacks.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said dozens of armed bandits riding motorcycles stormed Kurawa village at about 1:00 a.m. on Sunday.
According to the witness, the attackers killed one resident identified as Sabiu Yakubu, injured several others and carted away valuables, including livestock.
“The soldiers usually respond whenever we call them during attacks, and they have been trying their best. But this time, after we alerted them, they could not reach us until the attackers had left,” the eyewitness said.
He attributed the delayed military response to the recent IED attack at Bargaja, which reportedly claimed the lives of three security personnel.
The eyewitness further disclosed that while residents were mourning the attack on Sunday morning, a young man identified as Mudassir Salihu boarded a commercial motorcycle from Kurawa to Sabon Birni.
“About one kilometre from Kurawa, the motorcycle stepped on the IED. Both the rider and passenger sustained serious injuries but survived,” he said.
He added that a Volkswagen Golf saloon car travelling along the same route also struck another suspected IED, damaging the front portion of the vehicle and injuring some passengers.
“As of the time I visited the scene, no one was killed in the explosions, but the vehicles were badly damaged,” he added.
Another resident of Garin Zago village, whose in-law was killed during the attack, said community members had earlier received intelligence that about 20 motorcycles conveying armed bandits were heading towards their communities.
According to him, residents kept vigil before the attack began.
“We were keeping vigil when it started raining around 1:40 a.m. Shortly afterwards, they opened fire. They killed Salisu Yakuba, shot a vigilante member identified as Basiru Dan Banga, and abducted three people. However, two of the abductees later escaped, leaving only Sani Yakuba in captivity,” he said.
He added that the attackers also rustled two cows.
The resident appealed to the government and security agencies to end the recurring attacks, alleging that community members are often threatened whenever they speak publicly about the insecurity in the area.
“We are accused of opposing the state government whenever we report what is happening to us, yet we continue to suffer these attacks without adequate intervention,” he lamented.
A security analyst based in Sokoto also claimed in a Facebook post that more than 10 armed men believed to be loyal to the notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, were sighted attempting to plant the suspected IED near Kurawa village on Saturday night before launching the attack.
According to the analyst, the suspects were wearing night-vision goggles while carrying out the operation. He further claimed that the explosive devices later damaged a vehicle and a motorcycle after the attack. However, the claim could not be independently verified.
Efforts to obtain comments from the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, and the member representing Sabon Birni North Constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Boza, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to them were not responded to as of the time of filing the report.
The latest incident comes barely eight days after suspected bandits detonated an improvised explosive device targeting security personnel near Bargaja in Isa Local Government Area, an attack that reportedly claimed the lives of three security personnel and underscored the growing use of explosives by armed groups operating in Sokoto East.
Residents said the increasing deployment of IEDs by suspected bandits has heightened fear across communities in Sabon Birni, Isa, Goronyo and other parts of Sokoto East, as the explosives now pose a threat not only to security operatives but also to ordinary commuters, farmers and displaced persons attempting to return to their communities.