The Nigeria Police Force in Sokoto State has confirmed that one person was killed and five others abducted during a bandit attack on Mallamawar Yari village in Gawakuke ward of Rabah Local Government Area.
The attack occurred when armed men stormed the community, sending residents fleeing for safety.
Initial reports circulating on social media claimed that the attackers disguised themselves in women’s hijabs to evade suspicion before launching the assault. However, the Sokoto State Police Command dismissed the claim.
Spokesperson of the command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, clarified that the attackers did not wear disguises.
“The attack is true, but they didn’t disguise themselves. Five people were kidnapped, and one person was killed,” Rufai said.
He disclosed that the abducted victims included three women and two men.
According to him, security operatives have intensified efforts to track down the perpetrators and rescue the victims.
Rufai added that police and other security agencies have launched investigations into the incident while strengthening security presence in the area.
The attack has heightened security concerns in parts of Sokoto State, where banditry and kidnappings continue to threaten rural communities. Armed groups have repeatedly targeted villages in border local government areas, forcing many residents to flee their homes.
Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements to security agencies.
In a separate incident in Kwara State, suspected bandits abducted a housewife and her son during a late-evening attack on Ndeji village in Edu Local Government Area.
Reports indicated that the victims were returning from a cooking hut located on the outskirts of the settlement when the gunmen ambushed them.
A resident of the community, identified as Mr Idris, said the attackers struck suddenly and in large numbers.
“The bandits came in large numbers,” Idris told journalists.
“The victims, a mother and her son, had gone to their hut on the outskirts of the village to cook, which is their usual practice. They do not sleep there but usually return to the main village before it gets completely dark.”
“Sadly, they were ambushed while heading back home and were taken away by the gunmen,” he added.
Idris further revealed that the same family had previously suffered a similar attack months earlier when kidnappers demanded a ransom of N150 million for the release of a relative and his manager.
Meanwhile, local vigilantes and security operatives successfully foiled a separate kidnap attempt in Chitta community, Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Sources said heavily armed men invaded the community late at night, firing gunshots to scare residents before abducting three people.
A forest guard involved in the rescue operation confirmed the incident but requested anonymity due to security concerns.
According to him, a joint security operation involving soldiers, vigilantes, and forest guards led to the rescue of the victims.
“A joint operation involving soldiers stationed in the area, local vigilantes, and forest guards led to the successful rescue of the victims unharmed,” he said.
“We mobilised immediately after receiving distress calls and pursued the assailants into the bush. Our men confronted and overpowered them.”
“Under pressure, the bandits abandoned their victims and fled deeper into the forest,” the guard added.
Security agencies have continued operations in the affected areas as authorities intensify efforts to curb banditry and kidnapping across communities in northern Nigeria.
