Fatimah Otunsanya
No fewer than 34 people were killed on Wednesday when suspected Lakurawa terrorists launched coordinated attacks on several rural communities in Kebbi State.
The attacks occurred in villages within Arewa Local Government Area, particularly Bui and neighbouring settlements.
According to sources, the gunmen stormed the remote border communities, opening fire in what survivors described as highly organised and indiscriminate assaults.
Security sources said 16 people were killed in Mamunu, five in Awashaka, three in Masama, and two each in five other villages.
The unprovoked attack forced residents to flee as the gunmen invaded homes and shot at civilians.
Security forces have since been deployed to the area to protect affected communities, assist survivors and block the militants’ escape routes. Tracking operations are ongoing.
When contacted, the Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the incident.
Reacting on behalf of the state government, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Alhaji Abdullahi Idris Zuru, said the government was deeply worried over what he described as an unprovoked attack by “heartless terrorists” who killed scores of fasting Muslims.
Zuru stated that the Kebbi State Government under Governor Nasir Idris was ready to commit all available resources to ensure the security of lives and property.
“The latest attack by these misguided criminal elements is just the last kick of a dying horse because the Kebbi State Government, in collaboration with the Nigerian military, is closing in on the terrorists, who are mostly spillovers from Niger Republic and Sokoto, as they have no permanent base in Kebbi,” he said.
He noted that the state was mourning the victims and sharing in the grief of their families, adding that survivors would receive immediate assistance from the government.
While condemning the attack as reckless and abominable, Zuru assured that the state would not relent until security challenges in the area were brought to an end.
