Suspected Lakurawa and Mamudawa terrorists have killed a police inspector and 11 residents in a series of attacks on riverine communities in Kebbi State, forcing residents to flee their homes.
The attacks, which occurred between October 22 and 28 in Karwa, Kestu and Waiwayi communities across Besse and Shanga areas, also left houses burnt, shops looted and several residents homeless.
The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed the death toll, saying the attacks were carried out in separate incidents rather than a single operation.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said security operatives repelled some of the assaults but recorded casualties during the attacks.
He said seven people, including a police inspector, were killed during attacks on October 26 and 28, while three Fulani residents died in a separate incident involving members of the local vigilante group, Yan Sakai, at Samanaji Market.
Usman said the inspector sustained injuries while responding to the market attack and later died.
He added that police tactical teams deployed by the Divisional Police Officer in Besse intervened to restore order and prevent further violence.
The police spokesman said a tactical team had been deployed to the affected communities, while investigations were ongoing to track down those responsible.
However, residents said the attacks had caused widespread panic, with many families abandoning their homes for safety.
A resident, Aminu Usman, told Daily Trust that the gunmen moved through the communities, burning houses and looting property before retreating to their hideouts.
“The attack took many of the villagers unawares. No one expected that the Lakurawa terrorists would attack us. The attack was carried out in a coordinated manner. They burnt our houses and looted our property. Many people have been rendered homeless and they have fled the communities,” he said.
Another resident, Aliyu Tailor Besse, said the attackers moved along the River Niger from the Kaoje area of Bagudo Local Government Area towards Besse, targeting communities along the riverbank.
He said some residents who noticed the movement of the gunmen raised alarms and urged neighbouring communities to evacuate, but many people remained behind.
A resident also told the newspaper that a family lost four members in the attacks, adding that only a few people remained in the affected communities.
Some displaced residents were reportedly returning following assurances from security agencies and the government that measures were being taken to protect them.
The resident appealed to the government to provide assistance, saying some families had lost their homes and had nowhere to stay.
Meanwhile, sources in the affected areas alleged that the attacks claimed more than 23 lives, a figure higher than the 12 deaths confirmed by the police.
They also alleged that the gunmen stole valuables, burnt motorcycles and broke into shops during the raids.
The attacks reportedly followed an earlier incident in Lafagu and other communities in the Boya area of Kaoje, where suspected Lakurawa fighters allegedly killed the village head, Alhaji Saidu Mujeli, and six others.
The attackers were said to have moved along the River Niger towards Besse and Shanga after the incident.
Despite the establishment of an army battalion in Kaoje to tackle the activities of armed groups in the area, residents said attacks had continued.
The police said normalcy was gradually returning to the affected communities, with security operatives maintaining a presence in the area.
