In a daylight attack on Ghandi District in the Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State, suspected bandits killed four farmers and kidnapped at least twelve more, raising concerns about the ongoing insecurity in the state’s eastern region.
The victims were allegedly working on farmlands outside the village when the attack happened on Tuesday.
Malam Ibrahim Umar Ghandi, a resident who confirmed the occurrence, stated that the attack took place next to his acreage, which he had ceased growing due to persistent security concerns.
“The attack happened close to my farm. I stopped farming the land because it is outside of Ghandi, but I let some of my family to utilize the land when they asked,” he claimed.
He said that at around eleven in the morning, armed attackers invaded the area while the farmers were working on the land.
Around eleven in the morning, the bandits attacked while they were on the farm. They killed four of the farmers and kidnapped a number of other local workers, according to Umar.
According to Muhammad Sani, another resident, there are contradicting reports about the precise timing of the incident, indicating that it may have happened earlier.
“We think the attack occurred around 9 a.m., but it wasn’t found until around 11 a.m. We are constantly in fear because nobody is safe in the eastern part of Sokoto State,” he bemoaned.
Twelve kidnapped victims have been recognized thus far, according to a Sokoto State Community Guard Corps member who asked to remain anonymous because he was not permitted to talk in public.
“We just got back from the site. According to the source, four farmers were killed and one more person was injured and is being treated at a hospital.
We have so far identified twelve individuals who were kidnapped by the bandits.”
The most recent incident occurs in spite of the fact that troops from Operation FANSAN YAMMA and other security agencies have resumed operations in the states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, and Zamfara with the goal of breaking up bandit networks and bringing calm back to the impacted towns.
However, attacks, kidnappings, and cattle rustling continue to plague a number of communities in eastern Sokoto, especially in Rabah, Sabon Birni, Goronyo, and Isa local government areas. As a result, many farmers are forced to abandon their farmlands, endangering agricultural activities during the rainy season.
DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, stated he had not yet received information about the event when called.
He stated, “I am not aware of the attack at this time, but I will get in touch with the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area to obtain details and get back to you.”
Security officials had not yet released an official statement regarding the incident or the attempts being undertaken to free the kidnapped victims at the time this article was filed.
