Suspected bandits have killed two residents and abducted 11 others in separate attacks on Taloka and Huda communities in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The attacks, which occurred between Monday and Tuesday, reportedly left residents in fear and renewed concerns over the worsening security situation in the area.

A resident of Taloka told Daily Trust that dozens of bandits riding about 20 motorcycles invaded the community around 12:30am on Tuesday, firing gunshots and moving from house to house.

According to the resident, the attackers first invaded a room where several youths usually slept.

Although the youths managed to escape, one of them was reportedly abducted.

The bandits subsequently invaded the residence of Alhaji Yusuf, where they abducted him, his daughter and his son’s wife, while killing one of his nephews, identified as Abdullahi Dan Almajiri.

They also reportedly raided the house of Mallam Gado Dan Tsohuwa, abducting two married women, before proceeding to the residence of Alu Kansila, where they took away his two children, a boy and a girl.

The resident said the attackers had taken eight people away when Yusuf pleaded that he could no longer continue with them because of his advanced age.

The bandits allegedly killed him and abandoned his body, which was later recovered and buried by residents.

Residents also expressed frustration over the alleged failure of security personnel stationed in the community to respond promptly to distress calls during the attack.

One resident said, “We have security personnel in the village, but whenever we call them, they do not come until the operation is over.”

He appealed for urgent intervention, saying residents were unable to confront the attackers because they were unarmed.

In a separate incident in Huda village, five farmers were reportedly abducted while working on their farmlands around 9:30am on Monday.

A resident said the bandits stormed the farms and forced some of the farmers onto their motorcycles.

Although several farmers escaped, five people were initially taken away, with one later released.

The abducted victims were identified as Samaila Salisu, Musa Abdu, Naziru Saidu and Dan Abu Abdulkarim, while Basiru Bawa was reportedly released by the attackers.

The resident alleged that the community had suffered repeated attacks, claiming that bandits previously abducted 46 residents during Ramadan and released them after a ransom of N12 million and three motorcycles was paid.

He described the latest incident as the 11th attack on the community.

According to him, residents have been forced to cultivate distant farmlands because rocky terrain around the village limits their farming options, exposing them to further attacks.

He appealed to the government to strengthen security in the area and restore peace so that residents can safely continue their farming activities.

The resident further said he spent Tuesday night in the bush after hearing gunshots around midnight, with residents believing that the attackers had moved into their area after the Taloka attack.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said he was not aware of the attacks but promised to verify the reports with the Divisional Police Officer in Goronyo.