Armed men, suspected to be terrorists, attacked Tudun Doki village in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State early on Sallah day, killing six people and abducting many others.
The attack occurred at about 1:30 am, as villagers were celebrating the Islamic festival. Ahmed Rufa’i, the Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto Police Command, confirmed the incident. “We have retrieved six bodies so far, but we are still trying to determine the exact number of people abducted,” Rufa’i said.
Sokoto, along with other states in northwestern and central Nigeria, has been plagued by heavily armed gangs. These groups conduct mass abductions for ransom and frequently burn and loot homes. They operate from camps in a vast forest that spans Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states.
Recently, these gangs have increased their attacks, especially in Katsina and Zamfara states. Last month, they killed 25 people in four villages in Katsina’s Sabuwa district, targeting local vigilantes in apparent reprisals for military offensives against their hideouts.
While the bandits are primarily motivated by financial gain and lack ideological motives, there are growing concerns among analysts and officials about their increasing alliances with jihadist groups involved in a long-running insurgency in the northeast.
The police and other security agencies are working to address the situation and provide safety for the affected communities.