Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Bandits kidnapped eight residents of Garin Idi village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State during a midnight raid on Thursday, and several of the victims are relatives of the state’s deputy governor, residents have confirmed. The attack, which began around 1:00 a.m. on 30 April 2026, saw armed men on motorcycles storm the rural community, firing sporadically and forcing villagers to flee into nearby bushes. The gunmen rounded up about 30 people, mostly women and children, but later released some, eventually taking away eight victims – three men and five women – due to limited space on their motorcycles.
Among those abducted were members of the deputy governor’s extended family, a fact that has deepened the shock and sense of vulnerability in the community. A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the attackers operated for nearly two hours without any security intervention. “I have never heard gunshots as intense as what we experienced. Now, we only fear them when they come, but once they leave, we calm down because we have become used to it. Still, there is no help,” he told reporters.
During the raid, the bandits also looted a phone‑charging shop, making off with more than 100 mobile phones, power banks, and about ₦40,000 in cash. “When they entered the charging point, the operator fled. They then took phones, mostly smartphones and power banks being charged, along with the cash,” a source said. The attackers vanished into the forest after the operation, and no security forces were reported to have arrived at the scene during the incident.
Residents have appealed directly to the deputy governor, whom they regard as a “son of the community,” to intervene urgently. “We are appealing to him to look into our condition. As our son and the deputy governor, it is painful that we are being neglected despite being his relatives. We support him and do not wish him ill, but he has not assisted us in this difficult situation,” another resident said. The deputy governor’s office has not yet issued a public statement on the abduction, and security sources say local police and military have been alerted but no rescue operation has been confirmed.
The attack in Garin Idi comes less than a week after bandits killed a father and his eight‑year‑old daughter in a separate raid in the same Sabon Birni LGA, one of the worst‑hit areas in the state. The abducted victims are now believed to be held in an unknown location, and no contact has been made with their families as of Friday evening. The police have not commented on the incident, and a call to the Sokoto State Police Public Relations Officer went unanswered.
For the people of Garin Idi, the raid is yet another chapter in a cycle of violence that has forced many to abandon their farms and sleep in shifts to keep watch. As the sun set on Friday, the community remained on edge, and the families of the deputy governor’s relatives waited in agony for any word of their loved ones.
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