Suspected bandits abducted more than 50 residents of Garin Idi, hometown of Sokoto State Deputy Governor Idris Mohammed Gobir, releasing them after the community paid N600,000 ransom, though the attackers have since returned demanding additional payments.
Suspected bandits have abducted more than 50 residents of Garin Idi, the hometown of Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Idris Mohammed Gobir.
Residents told Daily Trust that the attackers invaded the village between 10 p.m. on Monday and about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, firing sporadically to scare residents before splitting into two groups and moving through different parts of the community.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said one group stormed a house and rounded up about 30 women, marching them into the bush, while the second group moved to an Islamic school where more than 20 men, including elderly residents and younger Qur’anic students, were abducted.
Before leaving, the bandits released one captive and instructed him to summon the village head, the Imam and other community leaders for negotiations in the forest.
“During the discussions, the bandits demanded N1 million for the women and N600,000 for the other abductees,” the resident said, adding that residents raised N600,000 house-to-house, which was delivered to the bandits, securing the release of all victims. The bandits, however, insisted the remaining N1 million be paid within two days.
The resident recalled how bandits previously set a blind man ablaze after residents failed to honour an earlier ransom agreement, heightening fears in the community.
Another resident of Sabon Birni, who hails from Garin Idi, confirmed the attack but could not verify the outstanding N1 million agreement. He alleged the bandits returned to the village at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday, demanding more victims or N300,000, which residents hurriedly raised and handed over. He said the bandits remained in the village so long that residents had to combine Maghrib and Isha prayers before they left.
Residents appealed to the government and security agencies to urgently improve security in the area, noting the community is made up largely of farmers.
The spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command had not received any report of the incident.
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