Armed bandits have reportedly attacked three communities — Kaiwa, Gebbe and Gelawu — in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State, killing at least eight people and abducting several others.
According to local sources, the attackers arrived on motorcycles in large numbers and launched coordinated assaults on the communities on Sunday night.
“We saw them riding into our community, and immediately people began to run for safety, but some were not so lucky. They killed more than eight people and abducted an unspecified number of others,” one resident said.
Witnesses explained that many villagers fled into nearby bushes and neighbouring communities as the bandits fired shots sporadically from different directions. Several residents are said to be displaced, while the actual number of those abducted remains unclear.
The attackers also reportedly struck Gebbe community, an area said to have been relatively peaceful in recent years, making the incident particularly shocking for residents.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, said security agencies have launched coordinated operations in the affected areas.
He disclosed that seven persons were initially confirmed dead across Gebbe, Kaiwa and Gelawu, while another victim later died while receiving treatment, bringing the death toll to eight.
Security operations and humanitarian efforts are currently ongoing as authorities assess the full extent of the damage and displacement caused by the attacks.