Just In: Grief as Bandits Gun Down Sokoto Chief Imam, Details Emerge
- Chief Imam Liman Audu and at least three others were murdered by bandits in Sokoto state, northwest Nigeria
- Concerned residents voice criticism over the alleged lack of security response during repeated attacks
- Nigeria's insecurity crisis continues to worsen, with armed groups targeting several vulnerable communities
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters in Nigeria and Africa.
Sokoto, Sokoto state - Armed gangs known locally as bandits have killed the chief imam of Kuda-Kuda village in Goronyo local government area (LGA) of Sokoto state.
According to a report by Daily Trust on Wednesday, June 24, the cleric, identified as Liman Audu, was killed by suspected bandits along with three other residents, while several others were abducted.
Source: Original
Residents disclosed that the rifle-wielding assailants stormed the village in the wee hours of the day and operated for nearly two hours. During the raid, they reportedly fired sporadically, rustled livestock and forced many residents to flee for safety.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:
"We were keeping vigil when we suddenly heard gunshots from different directions. We ran home, woke our families and fled towards the outskirts of the village to save our lives."
The resident alleged that the attackers moved from house to house, abducting several people, mostly married women.
He added:
"The three injured victims were shot in the chest, and the bullets exited through their backs. They have been taken to a hospital in Sokoto, but honestly, we are not optimistic about their chances of survival."
The source identified those killed as Chief Imam Liman Audu, Zahara Mu'azu, Yahaya Hasanu, and Ibrahim Dayyabu.
Those reportedly abducted include Yar Yamma, Malam Shehu Farar Zaki, Khadija, and six other residents.
Another resident confirmed the incident, alleging that the attackers first invaded the chief imam's residence and killed him before encountering three young men.
The resident said:
"After killing the Imam, they met three youths and asked them to follow them. When the youths refused, the bandits shot and killed them on the spot."
Source: Twitter
Sokoto: Residents decry 'lack of security'
Residents decried what they described as the absence of a security response during the attack, noting that the Kuda-Kuda community has suffered repeated bandit raids over the years.
One resident claimed the latest incident was the 11th attack on the community, expressing concern over the continued vulnerability of villagers despite repeated appeals for protection.
Efforts to obtain comments from Ahmed Rufai, spokesperson of the Sokoto police command, were unsuccessful. Calls, text messages and WhatsApp messages sent to them were not responded to as of the time of this report.
Insecurity in Nigeria worsens
West Africa’s biggest economy is in the throes of a spiralling insecurity crisis that has seen armed groups linked to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda, as well as criminal gangs, abduct citizens for ransom money.
Soft targets, including schools, churches and mosques, particularly in vulnerable rural communities with limited state security presence, have been particularly at risk.
While armed groups initially limited their operations to the country’s north, they have begun spreading through thick forest corridors to attack targets in the country’s southwest, Al Jazeera noted.
Read more on insecurity in Nigeria:
- US interference: Ex-military head of state breaks silence on what Donald Trump must do to Nigeria
- The Country of Particular Concern 'trap': What the US Senate got wrong about Nigeria’s crisis
- List of killed Imams and mosques attacked by bandits that led to significant loss of lives
Nigeria to include VDM in counterterrorism operations
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defence, said the Tinubu-led administration was making deliberate efforts to include VeryDarkMan (VDM) and selected social media influencers in military operations across conflict-affected regions of Nigeria, enabling them to gain firsthand insight into the challenges and realities faced by troops on the frontlines.
The minister disclosed this at the Nigerian People’s Strategic Conference (NPSC) and Defence Exhibition 2026 held in Abuja, where he argued that contemporary security challenges can no longer be addressed through military operations alone.
General Musa emphasised that terrorism had become an increasingly complex threat requiring collective national action.
Source: Legit.ng
