Sokoto Bloodbath: Bandits Unleash Terror, Killing Dozens And Abducting Scores In Midnight Raids
Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State has been devastated by recent bandit attacks, leading to numerous deaths, mass abductions, and thousands displaced. Communities like Lajinge and Tsamaye experienced prolonged assaults with minimal security intervention, highlighting a severe security crisis and urgent calls for government support.
Sokoto State's Sabon Birni Local Government Area has recently been gripped by a series of devastating bandit attacks, resulting in numerous fatalities, widespread abductions, and the displacement of thousands of residents.
These incidents highlight a severe deterioration of security in the region, marked by prolonged assaults and a notable lack of timely intervention from security forces.
One such horrific attack occurred in Lajinge village, commencing around 11:00 p.m. on a Saturday and lasting approximately four hours until 3:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Heavily armed bandits stormed the community, indiscriminately opening fire, setting houses ablaze, abducting villagers, and rustling livestock.
Despite repeated distress calls to nearby security formations, no intervention was reported.
At least 12 people were killed in this raid, with 11 dying from gunshot wounds and one woman, Agada, succumbing to severe shock.
A particularly gruesome aspect of the attack involved six victims, including the head of the household Mallam Wauro (also known as Mallam Roro), his two sons Ukasha and Mujaheed, two relatives Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami, and an internally displaced person.
These individuals were burnt alive after refusing to emerge from a room, which the bandits then doused with petrol and set on fire, shooting at anyone attempting to escape.
Which another victim comes in, Lawwali was shot dead while trying to flee from the same house, bringing the total casualties in that compound to seven.
The other victims, including Yusuf and three IDPs, were shot while attempting to escape the village. Local vigilantes, overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the attackers, were forced to retreat, leaving the village vulnerable.
The bandits operated freely, even walking along the main road laughing and smoking, further underscoring the absence of security response.
The residents lamented that security personnel stationed nearby ignored their pleas, and community leaders' repeated appeals for permanent security deployment have gone unheeded.
This incident followed another attack in the same community three weeks prior, which killed eight residents.
Just days later, the Tsamaye community, also in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, suffered another deadly assault.
This attack, which began around 9:00 p.m. on a Monday and lasted until after 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, led to fears of atleast 21 deaths and the abduction of 37 people.
Thousands of residents fled their homes, leaving the entire community deserted.
The terror was compounded by a tragic incident where an overloaded boat, carrying villagers attempting to escape across a river after receiving warnings of the approaching bandits, capsized.
Approximately 25 people were boarded,mostly women and children, 18 are feared to have drowned, while only seven were rescued.
The bandits of course, who themselves confirmed that the abduction of 37 people when relatives called victims' phones, captured many in nearby farms and bushes where residents had sought refuge from previous attacks.
Two houses were razed, belonging to Lawwali Ta’u Mai Chaji and Hassan Hasken Halara, a vigilante member.
Similar to the Lajinge attack, residents reported that despite informing security personnel early, no reinforcement arrived.
A local vigilante member explained that security operatives cited inadequate equipment, specifically the lack of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), as a reason for their inability to confront the bandits across the difficult terrain.
The attack has forced residents from numerous surrounding settlements to flee, including Borai, Tsululu, and Garin Tudu, among others.
The Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area, Ayuba Hashimu, confirmed the incidents but could not independently verify casualty figures.
The Sokoto State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed the attack and stated that additional security personnel had been deployed, though residents continue to appeal to both Federal and Sokoto State governments for urgent intervention, including the deployment of more security personnel and APCs, to reclaim the area and ensure safe return for displaced families.