By Salim Ashir Mahuta, Sokoto
No fewer than five people were killed by bandits at Gatawa village of Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, last night.
A resident who speak to our Reporter via a phone interview said the assailants also kidnapped six people among them two was married, three engaged and one other boy who was a displaced from neighboring village.
The resident said, “around 6-7pm yesterday, we were informed that bandits are planning to attack our village and we have tried to reach the army but unfortunately the commander was not around. The second in command didn’t do anything.
Around 1:20am they stormed a nearby Village but found no body as the residents are currently displaced and sleeping at Gatawa. When they didn’t see anybody there, they came directly to our village”.
“They killed five persons in which three died instantly and the other two died at the hospital among them is one elderly person which was shot six times. Some are still at the hospital receiving treatment”. He added
The resident also confirmed that, the bandits also kidnapped six persons, “they abducted six persons, five are female. Among them two are married while three was about to get married, and one small boy who happens to be a refuge from Dadi Village”.
They also carted away unspecified number of cattles.
When asked about whether they contacted their families, he said “they didn’t communicate to their families yet, but told our reporter that, yesterday we heard they killed one of our relative that was kidnapped since last two months.
“Despite paying a ransom of 1.5m they killed him, because we didn’t fulfill there demand of buying motorcycle and phones.
According to him it is their normal behavior to ask more as part of the ransom agreement before releasing those kidnapped.
He noted that, The chairman of the local government council came to sympathize with us today.
When contacted, the police public relations officer didn’t respond to the call and text messages sent to him at the time of filing this report.
Dailytrust