From Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
Armed bandits have reportedly abducted 27 people during an attack at Gatawa village in Sabon Brinin Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
A member of the State House of Assembly who represents Sabon Birni East Constituency, Sa’idu Ibrahim, confirmed the development to reporters in Sokoto on Thursday. The lawmaker said the bandits were now targeting security formations in the area.
‘They are now looking for where security operatives are stationed because their morale was boosted by their recent attack on a military formation at Dama where many soldiers, policemen and Civil Defence officers were killed.
‘So, they are now attacking places where they know military, police or other paramilitary camped.
‘They shot two persons, including a woman and burnt three others who hid in a grain store; one of them died instantly while the other two are receiving treatment in the hospital,’ he said.
According to the lawmaker, they invaded Gatawa because of the presence of “Operation Puff Ader” camp in the area.
‘As I am talking to you now, many policemen are still missing. We don’t know whether they were abducted or ran away,’ he said.
Another source from the local government who preferred to speak on the condition of anonymity told Journalists in Sokoto on Thursday that many casualties were recorded during the latest attack.
All efforts to get the reaction of the Nigerian Police, Sokoto State Command was not successful at the time of writing this report.
When contacted by our correspondent, the public relations officer of the command, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, said he was in a meeting and promised to get back.
Sabon Birnin is an epicentre of banditry attacks with the state government imposed a no telecommunication service in the area as part of efforts to curb insecurity in the state.