Bandits Kill Newly Recruited Teacher, Two Others in Sokoto Ambush

A newly recruited teacher in Sokoto State, Maniru Sa’adu Imam, has been killed by suspected bandits hours after attending a salary verification exercise in Sokoto metropolis.

Imam, 30, and a father of one, was killed alongside two others on Wednesday when gunmen ambushed vehicles along the Gundumi-Isa road.

The other victims were identified as Abdurrahman Umar, the driver of the vehicle conveying them, and his five-year-old son, Abubakar Abdurrahman.

A witness, Malam Kabiru Isa, said the victims were travelling behind a convoy of vehicles returning to Isa under heavy security escort.

According to him, residents of Isa only travel to Sokoto metropolis twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, due to insecurity in the area.

He said the convoy had departed at about 4pm on Wednesday, but some vehicles, including the one conveying the victims, returned to their meeting point after the others had left.

“We wanted to wait for everyone who had travelled with us, but the security operatives insisted that we leave early, so we left them behind,” he said.

Isa explained that as the convoy approached Gundumi, the security personnel spotted a group of suspected bandits and opened fire, forcing them to flee.

He said the assailants later laid an ambush for vehicles travelling behind the convoy and opened fire on the occupants.

“They killed three people, including Imam, the driver and his son. They also injured three others, while one passenger is still missing,” he said.

He added that the deceased were buried on Thursday morning.

Isa said Imam was among teachers recently recruited by the Sokoto State Government and posted to Government Day Secondary School, Maitandu. He had yet to receive his first salary and travelled to Sokoto on Wednesday for the verification exercise ahead of payment.

“He had not started receiving his salary. In fact, he went to Sokoto for the verification exercise ahead of their payment,” Isa said.

Efforts to get confirmation from the Sokoto State Police Command were unsuccessful as its spokesman, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, did not respond to calls.