Bandits have killed two people and abducted 11 others in separate attacks on Taloka and Huda communities in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

In Taloka, residents said dozens of armed men on about 20 motorcycles invaded the community around 12:30am on Tuesday, moving from house to house and firing shots.

A resident said the attackers first entered a room where several youths usually sleep. Although most of the youths escaped, one was abducted.

The bandits later attacked the home of Alhaji Yusuf, abducting him, his daughter and daughter-in-law. They also killed his nephew, identified as Abdullahi Dan Almajiri.

Two married women were abducted from the home of Mallam Gado Dan Tsohuwa, while Alu Kansila’s two children, a boy and a girl, were also taken.

The resident said Yusuf later told the attackers that he could no longer continue with them because of his age. The bandits reportedly killed him and abandoned his body, which residents later recovered and buried.

In a separate attack on Huda village, five farmers were abducted while working on their farms at about 9:30am on Monday.

A resident said the attackers forced some of the farmers onto their motorcycles. Five people were initially taken away, but one was later released.

Those identified as abducted are Samaila Salisu, Musa Abdu, Naziru Saidu and Dan Abu Abdulkarim.

The resident alleged that the community had previously suffered several attacks, including the abduction of 46 residents during Ramadan. According to him, the victims were released after a ransom of N12 million and three motorcycles were paid.

He said the latest incident was the 11th attack on the community.

The spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said he was unaware of the attacks when contacted. He said he would verify the reports with the Divisional Police Officer in Goronyo.

As of the time of filing this report, the police had not provided further details.

Police Arrest Two Suspects, Rescue 10-Year-Old Boy

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers in separate operations and rescued a 10-year-old boy, Muhammad Sufiyanu, who was abducted in Gidan Madi Town, Tangaza Local Government Area.

Rufa’i said in a statement on Wednesday that police arrested Abdullahi Buba, also known as “Osho,” on August 8 during a raid on a suspected criminal hideout in Tudun Doki Village, Gwadabawa LGA.

He said preliminary investigations indicated that Buba was a member of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly involved in abductions and the imposition of illegal levies on communities in Gwadabawa, Kware and Gada local government areas.

The police spokesperson also said the 10-year-old boy was rescued on Tuesday after detectives intercepted two men travelling on a motorcycle with a sack.

The suspects fled after abandoning the sack, inside which the boy was found alive.

One suspect has been arrested, while investigations into the incident are ongoing.