11 killed as vigilante group allegedly attacks traders in Sokoto market

At least eleven persons have been reportedly killed by local vigilante group popularly called ‘Yan Sakai’ who allegedly raided Mammande village weekly market in Gwadabawa local government area of Sokoto State on Thursday afternoon.

A source who spoke with our correspondent from the village confirmed many others also sustained various degrees of injuries including gun shots and machete cuts.

Those injured according to our findings are currently receiving medical attention at the Orthopaedic hospital, Wamakko as well as state specialist hospital, Sokoto.

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 who were believed to be Fulanis.

Confirming the ugly incident, the chairman of the local government council, Aminu Aya said the Yan Sakai came from the neighbouring Goronyo local government area but he could not ascertain whether they were residents of that area or not.

According to him, the Fulanis were from the neighbouring communities and came to the market to buy food items among other things.

The chairman said the incident occured around 3 pm on Thursday when the market was filled with business owners and buyers.

Aya who described the incident as “unfortunate” said the Yan Sakai identified and shot 15 Fulanis on the spot with Dane guns.

“11 of their victims died instantly while four sustained fractures in their hands as a result of gun shots they sustained.

“As I am speaking to you, we are taking the injured ones to Orthopaedic hospital in Wamakko while the 11 dead bodies are being deposited at the mortuary,” he said.

The chairman said that the attackers could not be arrested because they were well-armed.

It would be recalled that the state government had outlawed Yan Sakai in the state because of their alleged excessiveness.

When Tribune Online visited the state-owned Specialists Hospital where some of the victims are currently receiving treatment. Authorities in the hospital decline talking to newsmen, but sources in the hospital said corpses of the deceased victims have been deposited at the morgue of the hospital while some have been buried according to Islamic rights.

Speaking, one of the survivors of the attack, a Fulani man who declined to mention his name for security reasons said the local vigilante (Yan Kasai), attacked a Fulani man who came to the market on the said day.

He said there was no prior knowledge of the attack as his people only went to the market to transact their individual business activities before they attack them.

He described the attack as an act of barbarity carried out against the Fulani by the banned volunteer vigilante group also known as Yan Sakai.

He said the Yan Sakai people started attacking any Fulani man on sight at the market day and in the process nine persons lost their lives and several others are injured.

Sokoto State police command has confirmed the attack that led to the killing of about eleven Fulani herders allegedly carried out by the outlawed volunteer vigilante group also known as Yan Sakai.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abubakar Sanusi told our correspondent on telephone that the police have identified the perpetrators of the crime.

He said investigation is ongoing and the police is on the trail of the identified members of the Yan Sakai that allegedly came all the way from Goronyo, in Goronyo local government to carry out the heinous crime at Manmade village of Gwadabawa local government.

He said no arrest has been made yet, but the police will ensure no perpetrator escapes justice.

He, however, said nine persons were killed and several others injured and are receiving treatment at different medical centres across the state.

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