An early morning attack on Gatawa town in Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto state has left five people dead and one person critically injured.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said six individuals were abducted by the bandits who stormed the village around 1:30 am in large number.
“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident recounted.
He added that the attackers also rustled livestock and escaped before security operatives arrived.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Alhaji Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed media reports alleging that an Imam and several worshippers were killed in a mosque attack within the area.
Some online platforms had reported that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, killing the Imam and worshippers and abducting others. But in a telephone interview, the chairman insisted that no such incident occurred.
“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” Hashimu said.
A lawmaker from the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the reports, stating that there was no mosque attack on Saturday.
“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.
