Armed bandits attacked Girkau and surrounding communities in Girkau Ward, Kebbe Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto State, on Thursday evening, killing at least five people and injuring three others. The attackers also abducted several residents, including young boys, girls, and a vigilante member, and rustled an unspecified number of cattle, according to the Sokoto State Police Command.
The state police spokesperson, Ahmed Rufai, confirmed the incident, stating that the command was still gathering full details while security agencies continued efforts to address the ongoing challenges facing the affected communities, as reported by Channels Television.
Attack Details in Girkau Ward
Local sources said the attackers moved through multiple communities within Girkau Ward, killing one person each in Dukura and Jabga. The gunmen remained in the Girkau community for several hours before withdrawing, taking a large number of cattle with them.
Beyond the killings, several residents were abducted during the raid, among them young boys and girls. A vigilante member was also seized after the attackers stripped him of his locally made firearm. The exact number of persons taken remains unconfirmed.
Preceding Levy and Rising Fears
The attack followed a separate incident earlier in the week when bandits were reported to have imposed a ₦40 million levy on Kebbe town on Tuesday afternoon, a move that has deepened fears among residents about the worsening security situation across the local government area.
Affected communities have called on authorities to increase security deployments in the area and carry out more sustained operations to prevent further killings, abductions, and livestock theft. Rufai said the command was still compiling information as security agencies worked to respond to the situation.
Related Attacks in Sokoto
In a separate incident, armed bandits stormed the Ghandi community in Rabah LGA, Sokoto State, on Sunday afternoon, opening fire on farmers. DSP Ahmed Rufai confirmed that eight farmers were killed and five others sustained gunshot injuries.
A local source alleged the assault was a retaliatory strike after security agencies killed some members of the bandit group in recent operations. The police have not yet released further details on either incident, but security operations are ongoing in the affected areas.
