At least 12 people have been killed, including six who were reportedly burnt alive, after suspected bandits attacked Lajinge village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attackers were said to have invaded the community around 11 pm on Saturday and operated until about 3:30 am on Sunday (today) without any security intervention.
Residents who spoke about the incident said the bandits moved freely around the village, attacking residents, rustling cattle and sheep, and abducting some villagers.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that 11 of the victims were killed by gunshots, while a woman identified as Agada died after allegedly suffering severe shock during the attack.
The resident said six people were burnt alive after the gunmen surrounded a room where they had taken refuge.
“They ordered those inside to come out but they refused. The attackers then poured petrol on the room and opened fire. When those inside attempted to escape through the door, they kept shooting at them. Their bodies were left inside the burning room,” he said.
The victims burnt in the fire were identified as the head of the household, Mallam Wauro, popularly known as Mallam Roro; his two sons, Ukasha and Mujaheed; two other relatives, Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami; and an internally displaced person who had been taking refuge in the house.
The source said another victim, Lawwali, was shot dead at the entrance of the same house while attempting to escape, bringing the number of people killed in the compound to seven.
He added that the remaining victims were shot while trying to flee the village. They included a man identified as Yusuf and three internally displaced persons who had sought refuge in Lajinge.
Another resident, who was part of the local vigilante team keeping watch over the community on the night of the attack, said the gunmen struck while they were guarding the village primary school.
“We were at the primary school guarding the village when we suddenly heard heavy gunfire. We all ran for safety and kept moving from one hiding place to another whenever the shooting came closer,” he said.
According to him, the attackers overpowered the vigilantes and moved freely from house to house, stealing livestock.
“They stationed one of their rifles in a strategic location that kept firing while the others entered houses to steal livestock,” he said.
The resident said the gunmen later moved to another section of the community and attacked the residence of Mallam Wauro.
He said the attackers killed Wauro and two of his sons, abducted his two wives and took away all his cattle.
The exact number of people abducted during the attack could not be immediately established.
Residents said several villagers were taken away by the gunmen, although some, particularly children, were later released.
The villagers expressed anger over the alleged failure of security agencies to respond to distress calls despite the attack lasting for about four hours.
“The bandits stayed in our village for hours without any intervention. They even walked along the main road laughing and smoking cigarettes as if they had conquered the community,” one resident said.
The residents alleged that security personnel stationed in Unguwar Lalle and Dan Tudu communities, both about two kilometres from Lajinge, failed to respond to repeated distress calls during the attack.
They said community leaders had repeatedly appealed to the government for the deployment of security personnel to the area, but their requests had not been granted.
The residents further claimed that eight people were killed in the community about three weeks ago.
One of the residents appealed to the authorities to urgently deploy security personnel to the area to prevent further attacks.
“We are Nigerians and we have voter cards. We elected the government to protect our lives and property. We are pleading with the authorities to deploy security personnel to safeguard our communities,” he said.
When contacted, the Sokoto State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, told journalists that he was not aware of the incident.
