Suspected bandits have attacked Chacho village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State, abducting a bride-to-be and her bridesmaids just hours before her wedding ceremony.

The attackers reportedly stormed the community around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, whisking away the bride-to-be, her friends, and eight other residents.

All of the abducted victims were women, except for one man.

One person was also injured during the invasion.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as devastating.

“We are saddened by the development. The girl’s wedding was supposed to take place this morning, but she was abducted along with her friends who were to serve as her bridesmaids,” he said.

He added that seven other women and one man were also taken during the attack.

The resident expressed frustration over the response time of security agencies, noting that operatives were alerted but did not arrive until about 2:30 a.m., an hour after the assailants had left.

“We are appealing to our government to live up to its responsibility of protecting the lives and property of its people in line with their oath of office,” he said.

The spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the incident, saying details of the attack were still sketchy.