Newly Hired Teacher, Driver and 5 Year Old Son Killed in Sokoto Bandit Attack

(Bandit Attack. photo by The Guardian)
A newly recruited teacher, Maniru Sa'adu Imam, was killed along with a driver and his five year old son when suspected bandits ambushed them on the Gundumi Isa road in Sokoto State.

Imam, 30, a father of one, was heading back to Isa Local Government Area on Wednesday after a salary verification exercise in Sokoto city.

He had been recruited by the state government and posted to Government Day Secondary School, Maitandu, but he had not yet received his first salary.

The other victims were the driver, Abdurrahman Umar, and his son, Abubakar Abdurrahman.

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

Residents of Isa only travel to Sokoto city twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, because of insecurity.

The convoy left at about 4pm, but the vehicle carrying the victims had stopped at its usual meeting point and was left behind when the others pulled off early.

According to Isa, security men escorting the convoy spotted the bandits near Gundumi and opened fire, forcing them to flee.

The gunmen then attacked the vehicles behind the convoy.

Three people were killed, including Imam, the driver and his son.

Three others were injured and one passenger is still missing.

The dead were buried on Thursday morning.

The Sokoto State Police spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufa'i, did not respond to calls seeking confirmation.