Armed men, suspected to be terrorists, attacked Tudun Doki village in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing six people and abducting many others. The attack occurred at around 1:30 am on Sallah day. Ahmed Rufa’i, the Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto Police Command, confirmed the incident. He stated that six bodies have been recovered, but the exact number of abducted individuals is still unknown.
Sokoto is one of several states in Nigeria’s northwestern and central regions that face frequent attacks from heavily armed gangs. These groups conduct mass abductions for ransom and often burn and loot homes unabated. They operate from camps in a vast forest that spans Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states. In recent years, they have also kidnapped large numbers of schoolchildren, some have been rescued and others still languishing in their captors hands. This atrocity seems not to have an end.
These gangs have increased their attacks, particularly in Katsina and Zamfara states. Last month, they raided four villages in Katsina state’s Sabuwa district, killing 25 people, mostly local vigilantes, in apparent retaliation for military operations against their hideouts.
While these bandits are primarily motivated by financial gain and lack ideological motives, there is growing concern among analysts and officials about their increasing alliances with jihadists involved in a 15-year insurgency in northeastern Nigeria. Despite the sallah celebrations they are bent at continuing their evil.
