No fewer than five persons were reportedly killed and several women abducted after suspected bandits, allegedly led by notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji, attacked Lajinge community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attack was disclosed by conflict reporter Bakatsine in a post shared on his X handle on Wednesday.
According to the report, the gunmen invaded the community on Tuesday night, killing five residents and injuring eight others, who were taken to hospital for treatment.
The attackers also reportedly abducted several women, although the exact number of those kidnapped had yet to be ascertained.
The bandits were further alleged to have rustled a large number of livestock and looted valuables belonging to residents before fleeing the community.
The whereabouts of the abducted victims remained unknown as of the time of filing this report, heightening fears among residents over their safety and the possibility of further attacks.
Commenting on the incident, Bakatsine said Bello Turji’s continued attacks on communities in the area had fuelled fear, displacement and loss of lives.
He wrote, “Bello Turji’s relentless attacks on communities across this axis have continued to cause fear, displacement and loss of lives.
“How long will these communities continue to endure this cycle of terror without a decisive end to the attacks?”
As of the time of filing this report, the Sokoto State Police Command and other security agencies had yet to confirm the incident or issue an official statement.
