Bandits suspected to be Lakurawa terrorits have killed at least 12 persons, including six who were burnt alive, when suspected bandits attacked Lajinge village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attack occurred at about 11:00 pm on Saturday and lasted until 3:30 am on Sunday, residents said, with the gunmen operating freely without any security intervention.
A resident, Fuad Sultan, told reporters that 11 of the victims died from gunshot wounds, while a woman identified as Agada died after suffering severe shock during the attack.
According to him, six members of one family were burnt alive after the gunmen surrounded a room where they had taken refuge.
“They ordered those inside to come out, but they refused. The attackers then poured petrol on the room and opened fire. When those inside attempted to escape through the door, they kept shooting at them. Their bodies were left inside the burning room,” he said.
He identified those killed in the fire as the head of the household, Mallam Wauro, popularly known as Mallam Roro; his two sons, Ukasha and Mujaheed; two other relatives, Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami; and an internally displaced person who had been taking shelter in the house.
Sultan added that another victim, Lawwali, was shot dead at the entrance of the same house while trying to flee, bringing the death toll in the compound alone to seven.
The remaining victims were said to have been shot while attempting to escape from the village. They included Yusuf and three other IDPs who had sought refuge in Lajinge.
Another resident who participated in the community’s vigilante operation said they were keeping watch near the village primary school when the gunmen struck.
“We were at the primary school guarding the village when we suddenly heard heavy gunfire. We all ran for safety and kept moving from one hiding place to another whenever the shooting came closer,” he said.
He said after overpowering the local vigilantes, the attackers moved from house to house rustling cattle and sheep. “They stationed one of their rifles in a strategic location that kept firing while the others entered houses to steal livestock,” he added.
The source said the bandits later attacked Mallam Wauro’s residence, killing him and two of his sons, abducting his two wives and carting away all his cattle.
Residents said they could not immediately establish the exact number of persons abducted, but noted that some, especially children, were later released by the gunmen.
They lamented that, despite the attack lasting about four hours, no security reinforcements arrived.
“The bandits stayed in our village for hours without any intervention. They even walked along the main road laughing and smoking cigarettes as if they had conquered the community,” one resident said.
The villagers alleged that security personnel were stationed in Unguwar Lalle and Dan Tudu communities.
