Suspected bandits have k!lled an Imam and three other persons and abducted 12 residents in an attack on Illelar Dawagware village in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Residents said the attackers invaded the village around 12:20am, on Sunday, June 28, 2026, on about nine motorcycles.
The assailants, estimated to be about 30 in number, reportedly operated for about 30 minutes, shooting sporadically.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said villagers attempted to repel the attackers but were overpowered.
According to him, the bandits stormed the residence of the village imam, k!lled him and three others, before moving from house to house and abducting 12 persons.
“They k!lled our imam, his neighbour and one other. They later abducted 12 people, comprising eight women and four men,” he told Daily Trust.
He added that among those k!lled (Awwalu), the bandits have also abducted his wife and two of his biological brothers in the same home.
The victims k!lled were identified as Mallam Liman Lawwali Na Ande, Lawwali Na Lami and Abdullahi Haruna.
Those abducted include Amiru, Hauwa, Awwalu and nine others.
The source further said Alhaji Samaila sustained a gunshot injury that fractured his hand and is currently receiving treatment at a health facility in Sokoto.
Residents also accused security operatives of failing to respond to distress calls during the attack.
“We called security personnel in Goronyo for reinforcement and even offered to provide money for fuel, but they did not come,” the source alleged.
He said the latest attack was the 24th recorded assault on the village.
“They came two years ago and k!lled seven people from the same family inside a mosque. We had not experienced another attack until now. Just last Sunday, some displaced residents returned to the village after spending about two years away,” he said.
Another resident who attended the burial of the imam said fear had gripped the community, adding that many villagers had resolved not to spend the night in the village again.
“They will now sleep at the IDPs camp in Goronyo because they fear another attack,” he said.
The residents appealed to the federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to take urgent steps to end the recurring attacks.
LIB had reported that bandits similarly k!lled a chief imam and abducted nine persons in a neighborhood of village, Kuda-Kuda village of the same ward, in Goronyo Local Government Area on Wednesday.