Scores of traders, farmers and travellers have been abducted on a road leading to Sabon Birni Market in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Residents said the attackers blocked a major route linking Sabon Birni and surrounding communities before launching their attack.
An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said the gunmen arrived at about 10am, on Wednesday, on nearly 20 motorcycles and opened fire, causing panic among people heading for the weekly market.
“We were sitting near the bridge when we saw them approaching on motorcycles. They started shooting from different directions and abducted travellers, farmers and some women working on nearby farms,” he said.
The witness said at least 20 people were taken away during the attack.
“It happened right before my eyes. Some of the victims were forced onto motorcycles and taken into the forest. When the motorcycles became full, the bandits tied some victims together in pairs and marched them into the bush on foot. Men were tied to men using their clothes, while women were tied together with their hijabs. Gunshots were everywhere,” he said.
A son of one of the victims simply identified as Abdurrashid told Daily Trust that his mother was among those abducted while working on a farm.
He said his father was ill and unable to provide for the family, leaving his mother as their main source of livelihood.
“My mother was working on the farm when they took her. Because my father is sick, she is the one taking care of us. I have now taken my younger siblings to stay with our grandparents,” he said.
Another resident said the attackers did not enter Sabon Birni town itself but operated around an area known as Mangwaron Bullun, a junction connecting several communities, including Katsira, Zakin Ganga, Maskin Wuya, Garin Dango, Garin Gardi, Garin Bage, Zududu among others.
He said the exact number of victims remained unclear as many families were still trying to account for their relatives.
“Some people may only be discovered missing after the closing of the market, when they fail to return home. Since Wednesday is the day of the Sabon Birni market, many of those abducted were traders heading there for business,” he said.
When contacted, the member representing Sabon Birni Constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Aminu Boza, said he would verify the incident.
However, he had not provided further details as of the time of filing this report despite repeated follow-up calls.
Efforts to obtain comments from the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were unsuccessful as call to his phone were neither answered nor returned.
The latest attack is part of a wave of insecurity troubling communities across Sokoto State, where residents have continued to report cases of mass abductions, killings and injuries in recent weeks.
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