Bandits invade police station, kill DPO, inspector in Sokoto village

Locales said the bandits first attacked the police station in the locality, killed the DPO and a Police Inspector, before they embarked on the kidnap mission.

A locale told the BBC Hausa in an interview, that at about 1 am,they were woken up by gunshots in the community.

“We knew it was the bandits because a day before, they attacked neighboring Tangaza. They caused serious havoc.. They shot sporadically and killed the DPO of Gidanmaji before they abducted the women.

He said a police reinforcement later came to the village from Sokoto with an ambulance, and took away the corpses.

ASP Mohammed Sadiq,the PPRO in Sokoto confirmed the attack, saying the Commissioner of Police had visited the village, while investigation had commenced.

Another local who had since migrated to neighboring Niger Republic, told the BBC Hausa that the Gudu community near the location that was attacked, was constantly under attack by the bandits.

” Gudu and Tangaza local governments are always under attack by the bandits. On Saturday, the bandits were in Bachaka wielding dangerous weapons, they operated from house to house,from 3.00am to 5.30am.

“On Sunday morning they returned to another community and abducted people, they came on Monday and abducted 2 people in Awumgi…the abductees are still in their captivity. I am among the IDPs in Niger Republic,” he said.