At least three persons were killed inside a mosque, while several others were abducted when bandits attacked Tsamaye village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Residents told Daily Trust that the attackers, who arrived in large numbers at about 8:30pm, on Tuesday, remained in the village until about 3:00 a.m., on Wednesday.

They were said to have spent more than six hours attacking residents, rustling livestock, looting valuables and firing sporadically.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said villagers recovered the bodies of seven victims on Wednesday morning after the attackers fled.

“We were sitting after the Isha’i prayer when the bandits invaded our village. They first surrounded the security operatives stationed in the community and opened fire on them. They laid siege to their location, preventing them from coming out, while other members of the group moved from house to house, rustling livestock, looting valuables and abducting residents,” he said.

The resident said three of the victims were killed inside a mosque during the attack, adding that all of them were displaced persons who had fled from neighbouring communities following persistent bandit attacks.

He added that the attackers also broke into several shops, looted goods, set a vehicle ablaze and burnt two shops before leaving the village.

The source said the exact number of those abducted could not immediately be established because many residents fled into nearby bushes during the attack.

“We believe some people escaped because of the confusion. It is only later today that we may be able to ascertain the actual number of those abducted,” he said.

He added that the attackers carted away an unspecified number of livestock.

According to him, two of those killed were indigenes of Tsamaye, while the remaining five were displaced persons from neighbouring communities who had taken refuge in the village.

The resident said the abduction of at least three people had been confirmed after relatives called their phone numbers and the bandits answered, confirming that the victims were in their custody.

He said the security operatives stationed in the village were caught unawares by the attack, allowing the bandits to surround and pin them down, thereby preventing them from responding to distress calls from residents.

“Our security personnel have always been doing their best to protect us and even assist neighbouring communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area. This time, however, the bandits took them by surprise and prevented them from coming to our rescue,” he said.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command was aware of the incident but was still awaiting comprehensive details.

“We are aware of the incident but we are yet to get full details as we await it,” he said. (Text, excluding headline: Daily Trust)

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