BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
Yet to be apprehended rustlers Sunday night invaded Bidake village of Goronyo local government, Sokoto, killing two people and rustling more than 100 cows and camels.
The rustlers, according to locals are another faction of terrorists who steal and sell these livestock to generate more money for arms and ammunition for those that are into kidnapping, maiming, killing and other crimes against humanity while collecting ransom in exchange for the kidnapped.
An eyewitness account said the rampaging rustlers came at mid night and numbered over 50, armed to the teeth with dangerous weapons.
Giving a vivid account of what happened, the eyewitness who gave his name as Garba Ibrahim said the rustlers came to the house of one fellow Fulani man who has large herds, shot him dead and rustled over 100 of his livestock including cows and camels.
According to Garba, the terrorists also killed another villager while one other person was hit by bullets and is receiving treatment in a nearby hospital.
Narrating how the locals reacted to the incident, Garba said both vigilantes and able-bodied men stood up to the challenge and chased after the terrorists.
“After rustling the large livestock, they escaped through villages of Katsira to Keta then Takware to Joli Joli before getting to Gidan Andinkira and a final escape through Lumbuka.
“The villagers went after them. Some of the cows and rustlers were shot in the crossfire. But I cannot say how many casualties on the part of the rustlers,” he noted.
Efforts to confirm the incident from the Sokoto State Police Command spokesperson, proved abortive as his mobile line wasn’t reachable at the time of filing this report.
