Gunmen shoot cattle owner, steal 28 cows in Sokoto village near UDUS
- Gunmen attacked Gidan Sarki village behind Usmanu Danfodiyo University's Jummat Mosque around 9pm on Sunday.
- They shot a cattle owner in the leg and took 28 cows, police said; he is being treated in hospital.
- Residents said the attackers demanded students be brought out, but the university was on holiday.
Gunmen rode into Gidan Sarki, a village behind the Jummat Mosque of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), on Sunday night, shot a cattle owner in the leg and drove away 28 cows, the Sokoto State Police Command said.
The attack happened at about 9pm, according to both Daily Trust and Tribune, and sent residents of the community into panic.
The police spokesperson in the state, Ahmed Rufa'i, confirmed that one person was shot in the leg and 28 cattle were rustled. A senior police officer told Daily Trust the victim is Malam Shehu Muhammad, and that the cows belonged to him and his son, Mustapha Shehu. The officer said the gunmen appeared to have picked the household because of the number of animals kept there.
Residents who spoke to Tribune described the victim as an old man. Hussaini, who visited the village on Monday morning, said the man survived and had been taken to hospital. Another resident, Jameel Muhammad, said the gunmen left with more than 20 cows after shooting the owner.
Students asked for, but school was on break
Several residents said the attackers threatened them and told them to bring out students living in the community. One resident told Tribune: "They threatened us to bring out the students living in this community, but thank God it was during the holiday."
UDUS was on break at the time. A university staff member, who asked not to be named, said some newly admitted students were around for registration but were not staying on the main campus. The university's spokesperson, Isma'il Muhammad Yauri, declined to comment, saying the school was not involved in the incident.
Police said the divisional police officer for Wamakko Local Government Area was directed to send officers to the village after the report came in. As of Monday, there were no confirmed reports of deaths or abductions.
Why it matters
The attack is a reminder of the danger facing villages around campuses and rural communities across north-west Nigeria, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted livestock. Losing a herd in one night can wipe out a household's income.
It also raises questions about security for students who rent rooms off campus, even though this attack happened outside the university gates. In 2023, the university management denied a newspaper report that gunmen had attacked its main campus, saying the incident happened in Dundayen Bakin Gulbi, about two kilometres away.
What happens next: Police have not said whether anyone has been arrested. Residents of Gidan Sarki and nearby settlements will be watching to see whether patrols are stepped up around the university area.
