Sokoto State, Nigeria — A brazen assault by armed bandits on Kurawa village in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State has tragically resulted in the death of three persons, including the acting village head. The devastating incursion occurred in the early hours of Thursday, leaving the community reeling from the loss of life, the abduction of several residents, and the rustling of more than 40 cattle.
The assailants, referred to locally as bandits, descended upon the community around midnight, according to residents. A local who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the attackers gained entry after breaching a section of the perimeter fence that the community had painstakingly erected as a defensive measure.
“We received a call from a neighbouring village that armed bandits were advancing towards us. We immediately alerted the relevant authorities, including security operatives,” the resident stated. “They gained entry into the village after breaking the fence and began shooting sporadically.”
In a departure from previous sustained attacks, the resident noted that the onslaught lasted less than 30 minutes. The village’s vigilantes and community guards, supported by security personnel, mounted a defence, but tragically, three residents were confirmed killed. The deceased included the acting village head, Hussaini Alhaji Yawalle, and Huruna Alhaji Zuguru. All victims were interred later on Thursday.
For Kurawa, this latest incident marks an extraordinary twentieth attack by the bandits, underscoring the relentless security challenges faced by the area. Another resident expressed the community’s despair over the failure of their defensive wall.
“That was why we decided to fence the village, but we didn’t expect they could breach it. They abducted several villagers, including our retired headmaster, Malam Abdullahi, and rustled over 40 cattle,” the resident explained.
Describing the slain as respected elders, the source added: “We are in mourning. The victims were respected elders with families and grandchildren. We call on the government to establish more security outposts in our area to prevent future attacks.”
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Sokoto State Police Command proved unsuccessful. The command’s spokesman, DSP Ahmed Rufa’i, had not responded to repeated calls at the time of filing this report.
