Thirteen persons have been reported killed in an attack by bandits on Tara in Sabon Birnin Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The police said the attack occurred Thursday night.

In their statement on Friday, the police were silent on the casualties but confirmed that one person was killed in another attack at Dingyadi in Bodinga Local Government Area of the state.

Village head of Tara, Mainasara Muhammed, said they buried the corpses of 13 people killed in the attack.

He said the bandits also rustled many livestock and burnt food silos.

According to the traditional ruler, the gunmen invaded the community around 11:58 p.m Thursday.

He said the bandits sprang a surprise on the community’s vigilantes by avoiding all the major roads to the village which were under guard by the vigilantes.

“They sneaked into the village through the eastern axis and opened fire on members of the vigilante group that were stationed around, killing the vigilantes before proceeding into the village to kill people at sight,” Muhammed said.

“We just buried 13 bodies, including a six-year-old girl. Seven other people who were critically injured have been taken to the nearest hospital for treatment,” he said.

He said residents had alerted security personnel when they got wind of a planned attack but the bandits still carried it out unchallenged.

Muhammed said bandits had attacked the community twice in the last two months, during which he said they stole about 200 livestock.

”We can’t abandon our village because of these attacks. Already, we have lost virtually everything, our grains, livestock and wealth,” he lamented.

Speaking on the incident, police spokesperson in Sokoto, Sanusi Abubakar, said the commissioner of police, Kamaldeen Okunlola, was developing strategies to combat banditry.

He said the commissioner visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad, and Dingyadi village that was attacked by bandits on Wednesday in which one life was lost.

He said the commissioner also visited Tara village and Isa Local Government Area on Friday over the attack of Thursday night.

PT