At least six soldiers and 12 others were killed late Saturday night when gunmen suspected to be terrorists attacked Kasuwar Daji in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State and Lajinge village in Sabon-Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The Zamfara Sokoto terrorist attacks also left more than 70 people abducted and several victims burnt alive.
No fewer than 75 people were abducted in the Zamfara attack alone, while a man and his two sons were burnt alive inside a building where they had sought refuge. How the Zamfara Attack Unfolded Sources told Vanguard by telephone that suspected terrorists attacked Kasuwar Daji community around 11:30pm on Saturday, after overrunning the military outpost stationed in the area. The sources alleged that six soldiers were killed, while over 70 people were abducted and taken into the bush.
A resident who identified himself as Alhaji Aminu Kasuwar Daji said the terrorists stormed the community in large numbers and immediately began shooting sporadically to overrun the military outpost. “Our calls to Zamfara State and the federal government is to come to the aide of Zamfara people generally on this insecurity bedivelling the state,” he said. “We really in danger if terrorists can overpower the military and succeed in their attacks on innocent citizens.
“Namadi Kasuwar Daji, a former deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly, confirmed the attack on his community and the abduction of an unspecified number of residents. He said he learned of the attack from relatives while travelling outside the state. “I was told that the terrorists even killed soldiers but I was not told the actual number,” he said, adding that the attackers looted shops for foodstuffs, drinks and other property before abducting residents and taking them into the bush. Contacted for comment, the Public Relations Officer of the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said he was unaware of the attack but promised to follow up after contacting officers in the area. He had not responded by press time.
Father and Sons Burnt Alive in Sokoto Attack In the separate Sokoto attack, no fewer than 12 people were killed, six of them burnt alive, after suspected terrorists attacked Lajinge village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area. Residents said the attackers invaded the community at about 11pm on Saturday and operated freely until around 3:30am the following day without any security intervention.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said 11 victims died from gunshot wounds, while a woman identified as Agada died after suffering severe shock during the attack. He said six people were burnt alive after gunmen surrounded a room where they had taken refuge. “They ordered those inside to come out but they refused. The attackers then poured petrol on the room and opened fire. When those inside attempted to escape through the door, they kept shooting at them. Their bodies were left inside the burning room,” he said.
Those killed in the fire were identified as household head Mallam Wauro, known locally as Mallam Roro; his two sons, Ukasha and Mujaheed; two relatives, Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami; and an internally displaced person who had been sheltering in the house. Another victim, Lawwali, was shot dead at the entrance of the same house while trying to flee, bringing the death toll in that compound alone to seven. The remaining victims, including Yusuf and three internally displaced persons who had sought refuge in Lajinge, were shot while attempting to escape the village.Vigilantes Overpowered, No Security Reinforcement Arrived Another resident, who took part in the community’s local vigilante operation that night, said they were guarding the village primary school when the gunmen struck. “We were at the primary school guarding the village when we suddenly heard heavy gunfire. We all ran for safety and kept moving from one hiding place to another whenever the shooting came closer,” he said.
He said that after overpowering the local vigilantes, the attackers moved freely through the village, going house to house while rustling cattle and sheep. “They stationed one of their rifles in a strategic location that kept firing while the others entered houses to steal livestock,” he said. He added that the attackers later moved to Mallam Wauro’s residence, killing him and two of his sons, abducting his two wives and carting away all his cattle.
Residents said they could not immediately confirm the exact number of people abducted, noting that while many villagers were taken, some, particularly children, were later released by the gunmen. They lamented that despite the attack lasting roughly four hours, no security reinforcement arrived. “The bandits stayed in our village for hours without any intervention. They even walked along the main road laughing and smoking cigarettes as if they had conquered the community,” one resident said.
Residents alleged that security personnel stationed in the nearby communities of Unguwar Lalle and Dan Tudu, both about two kilometres from Lajinge, did not respond to repeated distress calls throughout the attack. They said community leaders had repeatedly appealed to the government to deploy security personnel to the area, but their requests had gone unmet. They also noted that eight people were killed in the same community roughly three weeks earlier.
“We are Nigerians and we have voter cards. We elected the government to protect our lives and property. We are pleading with the authorities to deploy security personnel to safeguard our communities,” one resident appealed.When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer DSP Ahmad Rufai said he was unaware of the incident and was in transit, promising to verify it upon reaching his office. He had not responded by press time.
