Armed bandits have abducted a bride-to-be, her bridesmaid and eight other residents in a deadly pre-dawn attack on Chacho village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The gunmen stormed the quiet community around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, shooting sporadically and dragging away 10 people nine women and one man just hours before the bride’s wedding was scheduled to take place.
One villager sustained gunshot injuries during the raid and is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
Residents said the entire village has been thrown into mourning as the bride was already dressed and preparing for her big day when the attackers struck.
Security operatives were alerted while the invasion was ongoing, but they arrived nearly one hour after the bandits had vanished into the bush with their victims.
Police Public Relations Officer in Sokoto, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the incident on Sunday afternoon.
“We have received preliminary report of the attack and kidnapping in Chacho village. Operatives are already on ground and further details will be made available as investigation continues,” Rufa’i told journalists.
Sunday’s abduction is the latest in a growing wave of mass kidnappings across northern Nigeria. Hours earlier, gunmen also stormed a church service in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting a pastor and his wife.
No group has claimed responsibility for the Sokoto attack, but residents and security sources point to the usual bandit gangs that have turned large parts of the North-West into no-go zones.
Families of the victims are pleading with the Sokoto State Government and federal authorities to intensify efforts to secure their loved ones’ release and put an end to the nightmare that has turned weddings, church services and everyday life into moments of terror.
