Bandits Invade Sokoto University Community

Armed bandits on Sunday evening invaded a community behind the Faculty of Law at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), shooting a cattle owner in the leg and rustling dozens of cows after allegedly demanding that residents bring out students living in the area. It was learned that the attack occurred around 9pm on Sunday at Gidan Sarki, a village located near the university’s Faculty of Law, sending residents into panic as the assailants opened fire shortly after arriving in the community. It was gathered from accounts by residents that the attackers threatened members of the community and demanded that students living in the area be brought out, but the incident happened during the university holiday, when many students were reportedly away. “They threatened us to bring out the students living in this community, but thank God it was during the holiday,” a resident said while recounting the incident. The attackers reportedly turned their attention to livestock, taking away dozens of cows belonging to residents. A cattle owner who attempted to stop the bandits from taking his animals was shot in the leg. He survived the shooting and was taken to a medical facility for treatment. “When they were shooting, an old man was shot in the leg, but he is alive, and we have taken him to the hospital,” Hussaini, a resident who visited the village on Monday morning, said. There are conflicting accounts of the number of cattle stolen during the raid. While one account put the figure at 20, other residents claimed that the attackers stole more than 50 cows. One of the villagers, Jameel Muhammad, expressed concern over the incident, insisting that the bandits took more than 20 cattle and shot the owner in the leg. “Wallahi, they have gone with more than 20 cows, and they shot the owner in the leg,” Muhammad said. Although residents reported that the attackers opened fire upon entering the village, there were no confirmed reports of deaths or abductions as of the time of filing this report. The attack has raised concerns about the safety of communities surrounding Usmanu Danfodiyo University, particularly Gidan Sarki, which is located close to the school’s Faculty of Law. The incident also highlights the vulnerability of rural communities to armed attacks and livestock rustling, a recurring problem in parts of north-western Nigeria, where bandits have continued to terrorise residents. Efforts to get the reaction of Sokoto State Police Command Spokesman, Rufai Ahmed, for reaction. However, he has yet to respond to repeated calls and messages sent to him.