About 19 members of a vigilante group were killed while N12 million was carted away from two local government areas of Sokoto State when bandits invaded Rabah and Sabon Birnin areas of the state in the early hours of Tuesday.

Local sources in Rabbah told FIJ that the bandits had come with the mission to attack one of the leaders of the vigilantes in the area but ended up killing 19 of them during the raid.

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Although Sanusi Abubakar, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, told Daily Trust that only 10 vigilantes were killed, witnesses insisted not less than 14 of them were murdered by the bandits.

Meanwhile, the armed group had invaded Sabon Birnin around Shinkafi Road to cart away the sum of N12 million from cattle traders.

Like other northwestern states, Sokoto is challenged with banditry, killings and kidnap for ransom.