By Onuminya Innocent
It was another sad day for the people and residents of Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State as suspected bandits again attacked the local government.
A source from the local government confirmed that in the latest attack, no fewer than 27 people were abducted from Gatawa, a community in the local government.
It was also gathered that a resident of the town was said to have been burnt alive, while many policemen have been unaccounted for after the attack which occurred on Wednesday.
It was in Sabon Birnin that same bandits gunned down no fewer than 17 security personnel earlier in the week.
A member of the state House of Assembly who represents Sabon Birni East Constituency, Sa’idu Ibrahim, who confirmed the development, said the bandits were now targeting security formations in the area.
“They are now looking for where security operatives are stationed because their morale was boosted by their recent attack on a military formation at Dama where many soldiers, policemen and Civil Defence officers were killed.
“So they are now attacking places where they know military, police or other paramilitary camped.
“They shot two persons, including a woman and burnt three others who hid in a grain store; one of them died instantly, while the other two are receiving treatment in the hospital,” he said.
According to the lawmaker, they invaded Gatawa because of the presence of “Operation Puff Ader” camp in the area.
“As I am talking to you now, many policemen are still missing. We don’t know whether they were abducted or ran away,” he said.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, said he was in a meeting and promised to get back, but has not done so as at the time of filing this report.
