Bandits Abduct Six in Fresh Sokoto Village Raid
Panic and uncertainty have gripped residents of Gazau village in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State after armed bandits launched a latenight attack, abducting several villagers.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, saw the attackers invade the community at about 1:00 a.m. when most residents were fast asleep. Witnesses said the gunmen went from one house to another, forcibly taking thirteen people,predominantly women.
Sources disclosed that the victims were herded toward the Dan Adama Forest, where the bandits carried out an unusual screening process. The captives were reportedly asked to state their names and family affiliations.
In what locals described as a strange act of leniency, the gunmen released one person for every pair of victims from the same household. Following this, seven individuals were freed and later returned safely to the village.
However, six others were taken away by the attackers to an undisclosed location. Those still in captivity have been identified as Asabe Zakariya, Inno Ibrahim, Inno Musa, Umma Yusuf, Safina Abdullahi, and Saminu Jijji.
The families of the abducted victims are said to be in deep anguish as they await possible contact from the kidnappers.
Adding to the tension, the bandits reportedly issued a stern warning to the community, threatening sustained attacks unless residents seek what they termed “amnesty” from them.
Efforts to reach the Chairman of Isa Local Government Area, Sharehu Abubakar Kamarawa, were unsuccessful, as his phone lines could not be reached.
Likewise, the Sokoto State Police Command has yet to release an official statement on the incident, with its spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufai, also not responding to inquiries at the time of this report.
