Following an assault by assailants believed to be armed bandits who killed over 35 people, locals in the Tangaza Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto State have fallen into grief, according to eyewitnesses.
Locals said that the bandits targeted Raka, Raka Dutse, and Filingawa about sunset on Saturday in three communities that are part of the local government region.
However, according to a statement issued on Monday by ASP Ahmad Rufai, the public relations officer for the Sokoto State Police Command, 30 locals were slain.
The police confirmed that armed bandits had attacked on Saturday, citing Raka, Bilingawa, Raka Dutse, Jaba, Dabagi, and Tsalewa villages in Tangaza LGA as the impacted areas.
“After vigilante members from Raka and Bilingawa went to Azam village to warn them, as a result, they ended beating up some villagers who are predominantly Fulanis to stop attacking their villages.
“Consequently, the Fulanis called for assistance; unfortunately, the assistance came from armed men suspected to be bandits on board 20 motorcycles.
“On getting the information that assistance is coming from Azam, the vigilante withdrew to their various villages as such the bandits went after them and killed 8 people in Raka, 7 in Bilingawa, 6 in Jaba, 4 in Dabagi, 3 in Raka Dutse and 2 in Tsalewa Villages, set two vehicles ablaze and six huts also set ablaze, while one Bajaj motorcycle strongly believed to be that of the bandits is recovered at the scene.
While verifying the attacks, Bashar Kalenjeni, the area’s most recent chairman, stated that 18 people were slain at Raka, 17 at Filingawa, and two at Raka Dutse.
He claimed that several of the deceased had not been buried because the bandits chased away locals who tried to perform the funeral rites.
The attacks might not be unrelated to the community members’ refusal to pay taxes levied on their villages by the robbers, according to the previous council chairman.
“The bandits imposed levies on their communities and meant to take charge and dictate to residents what and what not to do,” Kalenjeni stated.
“But the villagers refused to succumb, and because of that, they attacked them, killing 37 persons, while several others sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries and are currently receiving treatment in General Hospital Gwadabawa.”
He added that several other people were unaccounted for as the area is still unsafe for fleeing residents to return.