A bride-to-be and her bridesmaids were abducted in the early hours of Sunday when suspected bandits invaded Chacho village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State—an attack that occurred barely hours before the scheduled wedding ceremony.
The gunmen, who reportedly stormed the community around 1:30 a.m., whisked away the bride-to-be, her close friends who were to serve as bridesmaids, and eight other residents. Except for one male victim, all those abducted were women.
Residents said the attackers operated freely for nearly an hour without resistance. One person was injured during the invasion and is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
A community member who spoke on condition of anonymity described the incident as a heartbreaking tragedy.
“It is devastating. The wedding was to take place this morning. Instead, the bride and her friends were taken away. Seven other women and one man were also abducted,” the resident lamented.
He expressed deep dissatisfaction with the response of security operatives, saying the community alerted security agencies immediately the bandits struck, but personnel did not arrive until 2:30 a.m., long after the gunmen had left.
“We are appealing to government to rise to its responsibility of protecting lives and property. This is not the first time our cries have gone unanswered,” he added.
Confirming the attack, the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said the command had received preliminary information about the incident.
He noted that details were still sketchy and efforts were underway to gather full reports and initiate rescue operations.
The latest abduction adds to the escalating wave of insecurity in the North-West, where bandits continue to target rural communities, abduct women, and disrupt social activities, including weddings and religious gatherings.
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