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The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed a deadly attack by Lakurawa militants on Girkau community in Kebbe Local Government Area of the state, which left a police officer and two civilians dead, with several others injured and an unspecified number of cattle rustled.
The attack, which occurred on Monday, also saw the assailants set ablaze two security vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force and the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps.
Confirming the incident to The PUNCH on Tuesday, the command’s spokesman, Ahmed Rufai, said the command received a distress call and swiftly deployed operatives to the community, where they engaged the attackers in a gun battle and successfully repelled them.
Rufai confirmed that one police officer was killed in the line of duty while two security vehicles were destroyed during the attack.
“It is unfortunate that we lost one of our men during the attack. We received a distress call from the community and immediately mobilised our personnel to the scene. We were able to repel the Lakurawa bandits, but during the exchange of gunfire, one of our officers paid the supreme price.
“They burnt two vehicles, one belonging to the police and the other to the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps.”
He added that the command had intensified security operations in the area and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property.
Residents said the heavily armed attackers stormed the community and opened fire indiscriminately on security personnel and villagers, forcing many people to flee for safety.
Among those reportedly killed were a police officer identified as Hussaini Manyu, an elderly resident, Bala Wakili, and a young herder who was allegedly shot dead after refusing to surrender his cattle to the attackers.
Community sources further disclosed that a farmer sustained gunshot injuries while working on his farmland and is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility. They also alleged that the attackers assaulted a married woman after she resisted an attempted sexual assault during the invasion.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, described the incident as one of the worst attacks recorded in the area in recent months.
“What happened in Girkau is heartbreaking. We lost a police officer who was defending the community, an elderly man and a young herder. They also burnt security vehicles and took away many cattle. Our people are living in fear because these attacks are becoming too frequent,” the community leader said.
Another resident who craved anonymity for security reasons, said the community had repeatedly alerted security agencies to suspicious movements around the area before the attack.
“We had been calling for more security presence because we noticed unusual movements around the area. Unfortunately, our fears have now become reality. Innocent people have been killed, families have been thrown into mourning and many residents have fled for safety,” the resident said.
The residents appealed to the Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government to reinforce security operations across Kebbe and neighbouring LGAs to prevent further attacks.
