Father, Two Sons Among Victims as Bandits Unleash Terror in Sokoto Village
A deadly overnight assault by suspected bandits has left a trail of destruction in Lajinge village, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, with a father and his two sons among the victims of the attack.
Residents said the gunmen stormed the community late on Saturday night and operated until the early hours of Sunday, killing villagers, burning homes, rustling livestock and abducting several residents.
Community sources said at least 12 people lost their lives during the raid. Eleven were reportedly shot dead, while a woman identified as Agada died after collapsing from the shock of the attack.
Witnesses said six people were trapped inside a house after taking refuge from the attackers.
According to residents, the gunmen ordered those inside to come out, and when they refused, the building was set ablaze. Anyone who attempted to escape was reportedly shot.
Those killed in the fire included Mallam Wauro, popularly known as Mallam Roro, his sons Ukasha and Mujaheed, two relatives identified as Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami, and an internally displaced person who had been staying in the house.
Another resident, Lawwali, was reportedly shot dead while trying to flee the compound, while several other villagers were killed in different parts of the community as they attempted to escape the violence.
A member of the local vigilante group said residents were on patrol near the village primary school when the attack began.
“We suddenly heard heavy gunfire and had to run for safety. We kept moving from one hiding place to another as the attackers advanced,” the resident said.
Villagers said the bandits later moved freely through the community, stealing cattle and sheep from multiple households before abducting several people, including Mallam Wauro’s two wives.
Although many residents were reportedly taken away, villagers said some abductees, particularly children, were later released, making it difficult to immediately determine the exact number of people still in captivity.
The attack has sparked anger among residents, who said the assault lasted for several hours without any security intervention despite repeated distress calls.
They alleged that security personnel stationed in nearby communities failed to respond.
Community leaders said they had repeatedly appealed for stronger security deployment in the area following previous attacks, including one about three weeks ago in which several residents were reportedly killed.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said he had not yet received details of the incident and would verify the report.
No further official update had been issued as of the time of filing this report.
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