Crime
Bandits kill scores over refusal to pay levies in Sokoto
Over fifty individuals were allegedly slain in two Sokoto State local government areas on Saturday evening in brutal bandit assaults.
The Gwadabawa and Tangaza local government area of the state are among those impacted.
PPRO of the Sokoto Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, subsequently acknowledged the attacks on Sunday, assuring that the command is on top of the matter and promising to provide an update on the attacks.
The bodies of 37 persons have still to be buried hours after the attack on three towns in Sokoto state’s Tangaza local government area.
The communities attacked on Saturday evening are Raka, Raka Dutse, and Filin Gawa in Tangaza local government area.
The immediate past local government chairman of Tangazaa, Bshar Kalenjeni, also confirmed the attacks, saying 18 people were killed at Raka, 17 at Filin Gawa, and two at Raka Dutse.
In his narration, Kalenjeni said, “The bandits sometimes impose levies on the communities to be paid within a stipulated time and also want to be dictating to the residents on what to do.
“The offence of the villagers was their refusal to pay the levies imposed on their communities and succumb to the bandits threat.
“Angered by the villagers bold faces, the bandits struck Saturday evening, killing 37 people, while several others with various degrees of gunshot injuries are currently receiving treatment at General Hospital, Gwadabawa.
“We wanted to bury those killed in the night, but the bandits came back and dispersed us. As of this morning, the deceased are still there, yet to be buried.
“At this moment I am talking to you; we are waiting for security operatives to lead us to the villages in order to bury the dead and comb the surrounding areas in search of those missing.”
Speaking with our correspondent, a source in Gwadabawa local government said, “Some of the bandits were already in the town, unknown to residents of the affected communities, before others arrived in the evening to strike.
“The operation started after evening prayer, where they attacked the two most populous villages, Sakamaru and Bilingawa, simultaneously.
“In Bilingawa, not less than 18 people were killed, with Sakamaru being the worst, where scores of people were slaughtered and others killed by gunshot.
“After killing them, they set their corpses and those of their animals on fire, ensuring that most of them were burned beyond recognition,” he said.
