Sokoto State in North West Nigeria is notorious for kidnapping and banditry
What should have been a day of joy in Chacho village, Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State, turned into a heartbreaking ordeal after armed bandits invaded the community in the early hours of Sunday.
Residents according to Channels TV report, said the attackers struck at about 1:30 a.m., moving quietly through the village before abducting a bride-to-be, her bridesmaid, and eight other people. All but one of the victims are women. A man who sustained injuries during the invasion is currently receiving treatment.
According to locals, the bride was getting ready for her wedding—which was scheduled to hold that same morning—when the gunmen stormed her home and whisked her away alongside her close friend.
A villager who spoke on condition of anonymity described the attack as “devastating,” adding that the entire community had been preparing for the wedding celebration before the tragedy unfolded.
He lamented that although security operatives were contacted during the raid, they arrived nearly an hour after the assailants had already fled into the night—an all-too-familiar delay that villagers say has left them feeling abandoned.
“We are calling on the government to take its responsibility seriously and protect lives and property,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said officers had received initial reports and were still gathering detailed information.
Sunday’s attack adds to the unsettling rise in mass abductions across the country. Just hours earlier, another wave of violence hit Kogi State, where gunmen invaded the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area, during a service.
Terrified worshippers reportedly scattered as gunshots rang out, leaving the congregation in chaos. The pastor—popularly known as Orlando—was kidnapped along with his wife and several church members.
The back-to-back incidents have heightened fears among residents in affected communities, many of whom are pleading for stronger security measures as banditry and kidnappings continue to escalate.
