Suspected bandits have attacked Mallamawar Yari village in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing one person and abducting five others.
The attack took place in the early hours of Sunday.
Spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the incident.
He, however, dismissed reports circulating on some online platforms that the attackers disguised themselves in women’s hijabs.
“It is not true that the bandits dressed in women’s hijabs to carry out the attack. They invaded the village in large numbers and began shooting sporadically,” Rufa’i said.
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He added that one person was confirmed dead in the attack, while five others, including three women and two men, were abducted by the assailants.
A security source also revealed that the attackers arrived in large numbers, riding about 30 motorcycles with three armed men on each bike.
“Our colleagues in that area informed us about the attack, and we attempted to lay an ambush for the attackers, but their number was overwhelming.
“It was about 30 motorcycles carrying three armed men each, while we were only five officers. If we had been notified earlier, we could have called for reinforcement from neighbouring security outposts.
“The distance between the attack location and our post is about a 20-minute drive, which could have given us a better chance to confront them.” the source said
The source added that security operatives sighted the attackers along with their captives but were unable to engage them due to the numerical disadvantage.
He also recalled that a similar attack occurred in a nearby village a few days earlier, during which security personnel successfully repelled the assailants, killed one of them, and recovered a weapon.
