Suspected bandits reportedly attacked three communities in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing 37 residents and injuring several others.
A community leader, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf, who disclosed this on Sunday, said the incident took place on Saturday night, adding that the affected communities were; Raka, Raka Dutse, and Filin Gawa.
Also confirming the attack, the immediate past chairman of the local government, Alhaji Bashar Kalenjeni, said 18 persons were killed at Raka, 17 at Filin Gawa, and two at Raka Dutse.
He said, ‘We wanted to bury them in the night, but the bandits came back and dispersed us. As at this morning (Sunday), the deceased are still there unburied.’
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He said the bandits angrily killed the villagers because they refused to pay the levy imposed on the entire members of the communities by bandits.
He said there are other villagers who are still unaccounted for, adding, ‘Right now, we are waiting for security operatives to lead us to the villages in order to bury the dead ones.’
The spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i is yet to react to the attack.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that last week, no fewer than nine people were reportedly killed by bandits following an attack at Ungwan Dakwa village, near Dogon Dawa ward in Birnin Gwari Local government area of Kaduna State.
Although the police authorities are yet officially to comment on the incident, Honourable Yahaya Birnin Gwari who is the House of Assembly member-elect for Birnin Gwari State Constituency, confirmed the incident to reporters on Monday morning.
According to Gwari said the bandits stormed his community at about 2 pm on Saturday and immediately opened fire on the innocent residents who were going about their daily duties.
He said that some villagers sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attack and were rushed to hospitals at neighbouring Funtua in Katsina State for treatment, while most of the villagers fled from their homes due to fear of a fresh attack by the bandits.