By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Gunmen reported to be members of a newly identified terrorists group, Mamudawa, have killed at least four persons in fresh attacks on communities in the Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The attacks, which occurred on Sunday and Monday, targeted several communities in the Gebbe District, leaving a trail of destruction and forcing residents to flee their homes.
According to reports, the assailants invaded the area from Wawa Forest located in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
A resident, Yisa Ahmed, disclosed that the attackers set multiple buildings ablaze in Kalkami, Tungar Bori, and Kawara communities during the coordinated assaults.
It was further gathered that Kawara village was completely razed on Monday as the attackers intensified their operations.
Shanga Local Government Area has in recent times witnessed a surge in violent attacks by bandits, cattle rustlers, and kidnappers who often demand ransom from victims.
The latest violence comes just days after 12 soldiers, including a mobile police officer, were reportedly killed by Lakurawa terrorists in the same area.
A local resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the exact casualty figure from the recent attack remains unclear but confirmed that no fewer than four persons lost their lives.
The Vice Chairman of Shanga Local Government Area, Adamu Hamza Gebbe, confirmed the incident, noting that such attacks have become recurrent in the area.
Also speaking, the District Head of Gebbe, Alhaji Haruna Usman, said many residents of the affected communities had fled for safety following the attacks.
He added that while some displaced persons had taken refuge in Gungu, others were hiding in nearby forests to escape further violence.
Confirming the development, the Kebbi State Police Command said the attacks on Gebbe, Kawara, Kalkami, and surrounding villages were carried out by the Mamudawa group.
In a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, the police said, “They took advantage of the wetland terrain. Parts of these communities were set on fire, and lives were tragically lost.”
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Sokoto State, suspected bandits attacked Gazau village in Isa Local Government Area, abducting six persons during an early morning raid.
A relative of the victims, who requested anonymity, said the attackers stormed the village at about 1am on Monday, invading several homes.
The source revealed that 13 persons, including 12 women and one man, were initially abducted during the attack.
“They later stopped at Dan Adama forest and asked them to identify themselves. They released one person from every two individuals from the same household,” the source said.
According to the account, the attackers eventually took six persons to their hideout, while seven others were released.
Those abducted were identified as Asabe Zakariya, Inno Ibrahim, Inno Musa, Umma Yusuf, Safina Abdullahi, and Saminu Jijji.
The source further disclosed that the bandits threatened to sustain daily attacks on the community unless residents sought amnesty from them.
Efforts to reach the Chairman of Isa Local Government Area, Sharehu Abubakar Kamarawa, were unsuccessful as his phone lines were unreachable.
Similarly, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time of filing this report.
Sahara Reporters