Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Barely six days after a boat accident claimed 65 lives in Gorau community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, armed bandits invaded the village on Wednesday night, August 26, 2026, killing four residents, shooting seven others and abducting four people.
The attack occurred at about 9 p.m., throwing the community into fresh mourning as residents still grieving the boat tragedy were forced to flee for safety. The bandits, armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the village and opened fire on residents.
According to the village head of Gorau, Alhaji Aliyu Magaji Na-Batsami, the assailants went from house to house, breaking into rooms and demanding to know where the N1 million relief money donated by the Sokoto State Government to each family of the boat disaster victims had been kept.
"The attackers shot 11 persons. Four died instantly, while the remaining seven were evacuated to the hospital for treatment. They also abducted four others," Na-Batsami said. He added: "They came because of the money donated to the families of the victims of the recent boat mishap in our community, which claimed the lives of 65 persons".
The four people killed in the attack were identified as Bashar Sani, Ila Malam Makeri, Isa Ibrahim and Ali Aminu.
The village head noted that the number of casualties could have been higher without the swift intervention of security operatives, who arrived in four vehicles and pursued the bandits. The Sokoto State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed the incident, saying the command had commenced efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
The attack has compounded the grief of residents still struggling to come to terms with the boat tragedy that claimed dozens of lives, many of them children, mostly girls. Following the boat mishap, the state government had announced a N1 million donation to each family of the victims and the distribution of grains as part of relief measures.
The latest incident has heightened concerns about the vulnerability of bereaved families and the security of relief funds provided to them. Residents are now calling for urgent and sustained security intervention to protect communities in the area and prevent further attacks.
The member representing Gada/Goronyo Federal Constituency, Bashir Usman Gorau, confirmed the attack and expressed condolences to the affected families, while calling for increased security measures to protect residents of the community. Security personnel are expected to intensify operations in the area as efforts continue to locate the abducted residents and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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