
On Friday, 11 people, including children and an imam, were killed and others were wounded when suspected gunmen from the outlawed Yan Sakai vigilante group stormed a market in Mamande village in Gwadabawa local government, according to media reports.
The imam, Malam Aliyu, was leading prayers at a mosque when the attack occurred.
The gunmen stormed the market from Goronyo Local Government Area, attacking the victims they accused of aiding banditry before fleeing with sheep and cows of the victims.
Local sources in Gwadabawa town, the headquarter of Gwadabawa local government, of revealed that the attack also left several other persons injured as many have been taken to different hospitals in the state metropolis for medical treatment.
No reason was given for the attack but it could not be unconnected to the recent killings and abduction in the eastern parts of Sokoto State by bandits.
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A relative of the Imam, Abdullahi Riskuwa, said his brother was killed unjustifiably because he never had any criminal record.
“He is sound in religion knowledge and had been leading prayers in one of our mosques in Salame town.”
“His only sin was that he belonged to the Fulani tribe.”
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According to Riskuwa, Imam Aliyu only went to the market to buy goods when he was killed.
Among those killed at the market, he said, were children and the Yan Sakai went away with their animals.
He called on the government to investigate the matter with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Gwadabawa local government, Aminu Aya, confirmed the attack, saying the Yan Sakai were not from Gwadabawa, according to report.
Aminu Aya said, the deceased were deposited at the Morgue of Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, and some of their relatives went there to recover their corpses.
He described the incident as “unfortunate”, saying that Yan Sakai identified and shot 15 Fulanis on the spot with dane guns.
“Eleven of their victims died instantly while four sustained fractures in their hands as a result of gun shots they sustained.
However, he said that, normalcy was restored in the area.
In April, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal prohibited activities of Yan Sakai in the state.