Armed bandits suspected to be Lakurawa insurgents have killed the village head of Sayinna in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attackers stormed the community around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, shooting dead the village head, Alhaji Murtala Sa’adu, 47, and his neighbour, Malam Ibrahim Mai-Kudi.
Confirming the incident, Alhaji Garzali Raccah, Special Adviser to the Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Council, said the bandits targeted the monarch because of his support for local vigilante groups fighting insecurity in the area.
“They opened fire sporadically, leaving the community in fear and confusion. Sadly, our village head and one other resident lost their lives in this cowardly attack,” Raccah lamented.
According to him, the Lakurawa insurgents have consistently threatened residents against joining or supporting vigilante groups, seeing them as a direct threat to their reign of terror.
The assassination of the Sayinna village head, he explained, was a deliberate attempt to weaken community resistance.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants invaded the community with heavy gunfire, making it clear they came specifically to eliminate those defying their directives.
The two victims, described as respected members of the community, were known for their support of local vigilante operations aimed at protecting lives and property.
Their deaths, residents said, have left the entire community devastated and vulnerable.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were later deployed to the area.
They evacuated the bodies and launched patrols to prevent further attacks.