Suspected bandits have struck again in Sokoto State, killing an Islamic cleric along with three other residents and carting away twelve villagers in a fresh assault on Illelar Dawagware community in Goronyo Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen, numbering about 30 and riding approximately nine motorcycles, descended on the village around 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, June 28, 2026, unleashing sporadic gunfire for roughly half an hour.
A villager, speaking under condition of anonymity, narrated that residents tried to mount resistance against the invaders but were quickly overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the attackers.
The source disclosed that the bandits first besieged the home of the village's imam, killing him alongside three other people, before proceeding house-to-house to seize twelve more residents — eight women and four men.
"They killed our imam, his neighbour and one other. They later abducted 12 people, comprising eight women and four men," the resident told Daily Trust.
Those confirmed dead were named as Mallam Liman Lawwali Na Ande, Lawwali Na Lami, and Abdullahi Haruna, while the abducted included Amiru, Hauwa, Awwalu and nine others. The source added that the kidnapped Awwalu's wife and two brothers were taken from the same household.
Also affected was Alhaji Samaila, who suffered a gunshot wound that fractured his hand and is presently being treated at a hospital in Sokoto.
Villagers further accused security operatives of ignoring their distress calls during the attack, with the source alleging that residents had even offered to fund fuel for security personnel stationed in Goronyo, yet no reinforcement arrived.
The community source revealed that this marked the 24th such attack on the village, recalling a previous assault two years ago in which seven members of one family were killed inside a mosque. He noted that displaced residents had only just returned to the village the previous Sunday after nearly two years away.
A mourner at the imam's burial said the community was now gripped by fear, with many residents vowing never to spend another night in the village, opting instead to relocate to an IDP camp in Goronyo for safety.
Residents have renewed their appeal to federal and state authorities, as well as security agencies, to urgently address the persistent attacks plaguing the area.
This latest incident comes just days after bandits similarly killed a chief imam and abducted nine persons in nearby Kuda-Kuda village, within the same ward in Goronyo Local Government Area, on the preceding Wednesday.
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