Bandits have killed four residents and abducted four others in Gorau community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, barely a week after a boat accident claimed 65 lives in the area.
The attackers also shot seven other residents during the incident, which occurred around 9pm on Wednesday. The injured victims were reportedly taken to a hospital for treatment.
The bandits were said to have targeted families of those who died in the boat disaster following the Sokoto State Government’s announcement of a N1m relief package for each affected family.
The village head of Gorau, Alhaji Aliyu Magaji Na-Batsami, who confirmed the attack, said the assailants moved from house to house searching for the relief funds.
He said the attackers also invaded his residence and searched virtually every room while demanding to know where the money provided to families of the deceased had been kept.
The traditional ruler said 11 people were shot during the attack, with four dying instantly and seven others sustaining injuries.
He identified the deceased as Bashar Sani, Ila Malam Makeri, Isa Ibrahim and Ali Aminu.
Na-Batsami added that four residents were also taken away by the attackers.
According to him, the swift arrival of security operatives prevented the bandits from causing further casualties.
“We thank the security operatives for their swift response. They came in four vehicles and pursued the bandits,” he said.
The attack came six days after a boat conveying residents of Gorau community capsized, leaving 65 people dead, many of them children and predominantly girls.
Following the tragedy, the Sokoto State Government announced N1m in financial assistance for each bereaved family and promised the distribution of grains to cushion the impact of the disaster.
The latest attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of the affected families and the vulnerability of the relief funds provided to them.