Gunmen Kill 3 Policemen in Sokoto

Starrys Obazei/December 06, 2022.

Suspected gunmen stormed Yarbulutu Village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of the state, killing six people including three policemen just as the heads of the Nigerian Army gathered in Sokoto for the 2022 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference on Monday, Daily Trust reports.

A source within the local government area confirmed that the gunmen suspected to be bandits, yesterday afternoon stormed Yarbulutu village market killing three traders, and three policemen and also set their vehicles on fire.

The eyewitness to the unfortunate incident said the gunmen came on bikes and opened fire on traders in the weekly market making people flee, scampering for their lives.

It was gathered that the policemen in a nearby checkpoint rushed to the scene and engaged the gunmen which resulted in the killing of three of them and set ablaze 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.

Also confirming the incident, a resident of the village, Shayau Garba, who saw the happening at the market expressed concern with the way the gunmen have been terrorizing 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 part of Sokoto states.

“I am certain these gunmen were those from Zamfara State who now relocated to our areas as the area shares a border 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.
A 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 on the Sokoto-Marnona-Isa road to avoid further attacks on commuters flying the once peaceful road.