Armed assailants believed to be members of the Lakurawa group launched a deadly attack on a Nigeria Customs Service camp in Maje, Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State, local sources have reported.
According to residents, the attackers arrived in large numbers and opened fire indiscriminately, killing one Customs officer on the spot before setting the facility on fire.
“The terrorists came in numbers and started shooting sporadically. Everyone ran for safety,” a local resident told SaharaReporters.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Kebbi State Government nor the Nigeria Customs Service had issued an official statement on the incident.
The attack comes amid ongoing debates about the motivations of bandit groups in northern Nigeria. Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, recently defended some bandits, claiming their violent acts are often “revenge missions” rather than unprovoked attacks.
Speaking in an interview monitored by SaharaReporters on Trust TV, Gumi argued that Fulani herdsmen and bandit groups “do not attack people without any cause.” He cited interactions between the former Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, and over 5,000 bandits who expressed grievances related to past hostilities.
“Yes, I know they have killed, and it’s wrong to kill anybody innocent. This is absolutely an obnoxious thing to do. We don’t support that. But you see, if you know their psychology, they are on a revenge mission,” Gumi said.
