Bandits Kill Five Farmers, Injure Five Others In Sokoto

Suspected bandits have killed five farmers and injured five others in separate attacks on Ghandi and Gidan Kare communities in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The attacks occurred between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sunday as residents were heading to their farms.

A security source said three farmers were killed in Ghandi, while two others lost their lives in Gidan Kare, where the attackers also reportedly set some houses ablaze.

Five other victims sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital for treatment.

The latest attacks occurred barely two days after security operatives reportedly ambushed and killed several suspected bandits in the area.

According to the security source, the Sunday attacks were suspected to have been carried out in reprisal for the killing of bandits during the recent security operation.

“We suspect it was a reprisal attack following the last operation by security operatives, which led to the killing of 15 bandits at Maikujera,” the source said.

Security personnel were subsequently deployed to the affected communities, but the attackers had fled before the arrival of the operatives.

“We went to the area, but we could not get them because they had left before our arrival,” the source added.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said he had not been briefed on the incident.

“I have not been briefed yet. Let me get the details and get back to you,” Rufa’i said.

He had yet to provide further details as of the time of filing the report.