Bandits have killed six people, abducted seven others and rustled hundreds of cattle in Girkau village, just two days before the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum demanding a ₦40 million security levy from the community.
Residents said the attackers stormed Girkau village, in Kebbe LGA of Sokoto State on Thursday in what they described as a show of force to demonstrate they were ready to carry out their threat if the money was not paid.
The latest attack came barely one week after armed terrorists reportedly killed 33 people and stole hundreds of livestock in Ngushi village, another community in Kebbe Local Government Area.
Raising alarm over the worsening insecurity, Hon. Abubakar Bello Babangida said nearly all the 10 wards in Kebbe Local Government have been under repeated attacks by terrorists.
According to him, communities including Magogi, Jabga, Zugu, Ingiri, Umbutu, Kwandi, Maikurfuna, Tsangi, Sabon Birni, Rafin Gora, Pukku, Dukura and Kuchi have continued to live in fear of fresh attacks.
Babangida, who holds the traditional title of Mainan Kebbe and is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the 2027 Sokoto State House of Assembly election, appealed to both the Federal and Sokoto State governments to urgently intervene, stressing that insecurity affects everyone regardless of political affiliation.
“I am appealing to the State and Federal government as well as everybody to take the issue of insecurity serious. Government must understand that it’s first and primary responsibility is to ensure the protection of the lives and properties of it’s citizenry.
“With the consistencies of attacks in villages of Kebbe local government, if no urgent action is taken to halt the ugly development, the terrorists are, from all indications working towards making Kebbe a history.”
Speaking on the terrorists’ ₦40 million demand, Babangida said the community could not afford such an amount, adding that many residents had abandoned their homes in search of safety.
“With barely 2 days left, honestly, we cannot raise such an amount. And as we speak now, most of the people are fleeing with their families to Sokoto metropolis while others to neighbouring Jega and Kebbi state towns for shelter.
“As we speak, I have over 120 people including children and women who ran away for Kebbe which infer everyday in my house right now.
“Government at all levels should please try and intervene before the expiration of the 7 day ultimatum which is this week Sunday so that our once beautiful and agricultural active communities does not become history as the terrorists had warned.”
Attempts to get comments from the Chairman of Kebbe Local Government, Hon. Garba Kuchi, and the council secretary, Shamsu Mai’akwai, were unsuccessful, as both failed to answer phone calls or respond to text messages before the report was filed.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufa’i, had earlier assured residents that the police, working with other security agencies, were on high alert following reports of the terrorists’ threat against Kebbe communities.