According to a Daily Trust report, many communities in Sokoto State have been deserted following fresh attacks by bandits, which left four people dead.
The state Commissioner for Security Matters, Garba Moyi, who disclosed this, said livestock were also rustled in the process.
According to the commissioner, three persons were killed at Bargaja village in Isa local government area, while one was killed in a community in Sabon Birni local government area.
DailyTrust reports that the attackers had invaded Bargaja around 2pm on Thursday, shooting sporadically.
A resident of Isa, identified as Surajo, said inhabitants of Bargaja, Tozai, Turba and Danzanke had all relocated to Isa town following series of attacks on their villages.
“They don’t sleep in their places any more. Only some of their men who have farmlands nearer to the village go back every morning to work on them and rush back to Isa town before sunset,” he said.
Another resident, identified as Malam Sanusi, said Gatawa in Sabon Birni local government is now flooded with refugees from neighbouring villages.
According to him, the villages include, Makera, Dankura, Burkusuma, Kumaro, Garin Tunkiya, Zangon Malam and Asha Banza.
He stated that one Malam Bilya Idris, otherwise known as Idi Gago, was killed at Dankura village, and Malam Abdulmajid Abdurrahman, Muhammadu Hatimu and Yazzid Sa’idu lost their lives during Zangon Malam’s attack some weeks ago.
He further explained that most of the people killed were either the vigilante group or those who lost their animals and decided to pursue the bandits.
“That is why we don’t encourage the villagers to engage them because we have our ways of recovering whatever they have stolen.
“We use their brothers who embraced peace to recover the animals and even their weapons as well as secure the release of kidnapped victims,” he said.