In an assault on Tursa village in Rabba Local Government Area of Sokoto State, bandits have taken the life of one individual and kidnapped six others.
The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to Ahmed Rufai, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, the attackers infiltrated the village and set a house ablaze, resulting in the victim’s burning.
Rufai mentioned that other properties, including motorcycles, were also set on fire, and an unspecified number of livestock were rustled. The state commissioner of police has directed a manhunt for the suspected criminals and assured that more updates on the situation will be provided as it unfolds.
Sokoto, situated in the North-Western part of the country, is among the states heavily affected by banditry, with frequent attacks occurring.
Other states facing similar challenges include Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, and Katsina.
As part of the efforts to combat banditry in the region, the Nigerian military has initiated a series of airstrikes and offensives that have resulted in the elimination of numerous terrorists and their key commanders.
Bandits have long instilled fear in some North-West and North-Central states, establishing bases in deep forests and conducting raids on villages to loot and abduct residents for ransom.
In the North-East, jihadists have been pushed back from the territories they previously controlled during the peak of the conflict. However, they persist in fighting, particularly in rural areas.
The conflict in the North-East has led to the deaths of over 40,000 people and the displacement of two million individuals since 2009.