Suspected Bandits Kill Imam, Three Others, Abduct 12 in Sokoto Community

Suspected bandits have killed an Islamic cleric and three other residents and abducted 12 persons during an attack on Illela Dawagare village in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Residents said the attackers stormed the village at about 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, arriving on about nine motorcycles.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the gunmen, estimated to be about 30 in number, operated for about 30 minutes while firing sporadically to instill fear among residents.

According to the resident, the assailants first attacked the residence of the village imam, killing the cleric and three other persons before moving from house to house and abducting 12 residents.

The source alleged that security operatives did not respond to distress calls made during the attack.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Sokoto State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to the Police Public Relations Officer were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks by suspected bandits in parts of Sokoto State, where armed groups have continued to target rural communities despite ongoing security operations.