Mohammed Munirat Nasir, Gusau with agency report
Gunmen on Saturday night killed no fewer than 18 persons across villages in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The incident, which also left four others with various degrees of major injuries, is one of the most recent dastardly attacks in the state.
Chairman, Zakkat and Endowment Commission and member, state committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Malam Lawal Maidoki, disclosed this to reporters yesterday.
It was learnt that the council chairman and a team of joint security operatives have been to Rakumni, Tsage and Kalgo for rescue operation.
They are also said to be assembling the bodies for burial.
Attempts to get the police public relations officer in the state, Sadik Abubakar, to confirm the incident failed.
Last year, deadly attacks were carried out across eight villages in Rabah Local Government Area with several people killed and displaced.
Similarly, at least 23 people were said to have lost their lives in reprisal attacks by bandits in Kabaje and Tunga communities in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The chairman of Kaura Namoda LGA, Alhaji Lawal Isah Abdullahi, said the bandits, in their dozens, attacked the two villages in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving about 23 people dead and many injured.
Abdullahi said investigation revealed that Anas of Unguwar Sarkin Muslmi area, a suspected ally of the bandits, and a woman also suspected to be a wife to a bandit, were intercepted by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and were instantly killed.
“The killing of the man, the woman and the baby she was carrying made the bandits, in retaliation, to launch attacks on the two communities and killed 23 people on the spot,” he said. Police public relations officer in the state, SP Mohammed Shehu, confirmed killings.
Shehu said the joint task force comprising the police, army and air force have been deployed to the scene of the incident to restore peace and arrest the culprits.