Bandits murder father, daughter, abduct 17 in Sokoto village attack

Suspected bandits have carried out a deadly assault on Garin Faji village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, leaving a trail of destruction and loss.

During the attack, a father and his 8-year-old daughter were killed, while 17 other residents were abducted by the assailants. The attackers also rustled about 50 cows, compounding the economic hardship for the affected community.

Sources within the area told this newspaper that the bandits stormed the village in large numbers, advancing on foot after reportedly leaving their motorcycles at a distance to avoid detection due to engine noise.

A resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, said upon arrival, the assailants began shooting sporadically, forcing residents to flee.

“I was in my shop around 12:00 a.m. on Wednesday, when I heard gunshots that signaled their arrival. I quickly closed and went into hiding,” he said.

He added that the bandits later entered a house where they killed a man, Haruna Dan Kwambo, and his eight-year-old daughter.

They also abducted his two wives, alongside his brother’s wives and brother’s children’s wives and other children.

According to residents, a total number of 17 people were abducted, including three men, while the rest were women and children.

The attackers also rustled about 50 cows during the raid.

Residents said the incident was not the first, recalling previous attacks in which people were killed and abducted.

They also recounted a separate incident where villagers fleeing bandit attacks capsized in a boat, leading to the death of about 10 people.

“They operated for about one hour. Before security operatives arrived, they had already left,” the source said, adding that the community lacks security presence.

“We are calling on authorities to rescue our abducted relatives. The situation is becoming unbearable,” he added.

Efforts to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ahmad Rufai, on the issue were unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to him were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.