Armed bandits on Friday night invaded Rimawa community in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, shooting three residents, rustling livestock, and looting mobile phones and power banks from the village’s main phone charging centre.
Residents said the attackers stormed the community at about 8:40 p.m. and operated for more than two hours without any security intervention.
According to a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, the bandits split into two groups. While one group concentrated on rustling cattle and sheep, the other fired sporadically to prevent residents from resisting the attack.
The assailants also looted the community’s phone charging centre, making away with customers’ mobile phones and power banks, including devices reportedly worth between ₦200,000 and ₦500,000.
The resident disclosed that the bandits had made several unsuccessful attempts to attack Rimawa in the past week but were previously repelled by local volunteers. He added that the attackers disguised themselves before launching Friday’s assault from the community’s main motor park.
He further alleged that all relevant security agencies were alerted immediately the attack began, but no reinforcement arrived throughout the operation, allowing the bandits to escape with the stolen livestock.
The source also revealed that one resident died on Saturday after reportedly suffering complications from high blood pressure triggered by the shock of the attack.
Residents lamented the absence of stationed security personnel in the community, saying repeated appeals for the deployment of soldiers or Mobile Police officers had not been answered.
They noted that local volunteers remain their only line of defence against recurring attacks.
The latest raid adds to the growing wave of bandit attacks across eastern Sokoto, where communities continue to express concern over persistent insecurity and inadequate security presence.
The spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed the attack but said he could not immediately provide details of the casualties, noting that he would verify the information before issuing an update. No further official statement had been released as of the time of filing the report. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.
