By Akinwale Kasali
Gunmen have stormed Yarbulutu Village in Sabon Birnin Local Government in Sokoto State and allegedly killed six people made up of three Policemen and three traders. They, also, set several vehicles ablaze.
This, at a time Heads of Nigerian Army converged in Sokoto for the 2022 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference which began on Monday.
It was gathered that the gunmen came on bikes and opened fire on traders in the weekly market, leading to pandemonium. People fled, scampering for their lives.
Eyewitness report also disclosed that Policemen at a nearby checkpoint rushed to the scene and engaged the gunmen which resulted in the killing of three of them and the setting ablaze of their two operational vehicles.
Confirming the attack, the Police Public Relations Officer, Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Sanusi Abubakar, said the Command has received the report and they are hunting down the attackers to face justice.
A resident of the village, Shayau Garba, who saw the happening at the market expressed concern at the way the gunmen have been terrorising the area without much resistance.
He said Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas in the Eastern part of Sokoto have for long been held to ransom by bandits and kidnappers operating in Zamfara and parts of Sokoto states.
“I am certain these gunmen were those from Zamfara State who now relocated to our areas as the area shares borders with the State in the East,” the eyewitness said.
It could be recalled that last week gunmen attacked and killed six people in another village of Goronyo Local Government Area of the state.
It was also gathered that similar episode also took place early last year on a market day in Goronyo where gunmen killed more than 40 people.
The situation in the past forced the Sokoto State Government to close traffic at the Sokoto-Marnona-Isa road to avoid further attacks on commuters plying the once peaceful road.
