Bandits have abducted 12 worshippers from a mosque while observing their dawn prayer at Gidan Baushe village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
This is just as six girls between the ages of 15 and 17 were kidnapped by bandits in Pandogari community in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
Sources confirmed that the abduction at the mosque was ignited by the ongoing military operation around the Shinkafi-Isa axis, which was said to have dislodged several bandits’ hideouts with many of them killed in the process.
It was gathered that a truce was once brokered between the community and bandits loyal to the notorious kingpin, Kachalla Bello Turji, who is currently on the run.
“There was a truce between the community and the bandits before the commencement of the military operation in the area. The bandits were collecting taxes from the villagers to enable them cultivate their farms and live in peace.
“But the truce was truncated by the ongoing operation, which the bandits blamed on the locals, accusing them of notifying security operatives about their presence in the area,” a resident of Sabon Birni who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
Corroborating this, the member representing Sabon Birni South at the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Sa’idu Ibrahim, said the bandits were on a reprisal mission as they were angered by the killing of their members by the military.
According to Ibrahim, the imam of the mosque was among the abducted worshippers, but there was no report of casualty during the invasion.
“There are many villages in Sabon Birni whose heads were forced into exile by bandits. People are still living in those communities because they are paying taxes imposed on them by the bandits,” he said.
The Spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’I, also confirmed the abduction, but said the information at his disposal was very sketchy because he had not been able to get the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Sabon Birni Local Government Area.
And on the kidnap of the girls in Niger State, residents told Weekend Trust that the bandits invaded their community in the midnight of Wednesday, killing a vigilante, Aliyu Aminu, before kidnapping the girls.
Residents said the attackers, in their numbers entered the community from the Birnin Gwari axis through the Mamman Kontagora Technical College, Pandogari.
Sources said the kidnapped girls were moved to Kwangel forest where they are likely going to be used as sex slaves.
One of the sources said the bandits moved from house to house during the night raid.
“The Wednesday night attack was the third in a week. They have been attacking us since the negotiation with Kaduna State Government. The negotiation and settlement with residents of Birnin Gwari is not to our advantage,” a source said.
Efforts to get the chairman of Rafi Local Government Area, Ayuba Usman Katako to speak was not successful, but he confirmed the attacks on a Hausa programme, Tsalle Daya on Prestige FM, saying that the governments of Niger and Kaduna need to work together to ensure that the two states are safe.
“It is true that bandits attacked Pandogari community. In fact, that was not the only attack in the last two weeks. The Wednesday attack was the third one,” he said.