Suspected bandits have killed eight people and injured one in coordinated attacks on two villages in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the attacks, which occurred Tuesday afternoon in Baidi and Sabiyo villages.
According to the command’s spokesman, DSP Ahmed Rufai, the assailants, believed to be Lakurawa bandits, carried out a brutal assault on the farming communities.
“Eight persons were confirmed dead, while one injured victim is currently receiving treatment at the hospital,” DSP Rufai said in a WhatsApp message to Punch on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses described the bandits as heavily armed and moving on foot and motorcycles. They reportedly struck Baidi first, where a resident was shot and wounded.
“They later advanced to Sabiyo village, where they ambushed farmers working on their farmlands, killing six of them on the spot,” a witness recounted.
Among the victims was Aminu Sama’ila, who sustained gunshot wounds to the neck and chest and was taken to the Specialist Hospital Sokoto. Another farmer, Usman Sama’ila, is reportedly missing, as security personnel and community volunteers continue search efforts.
“The assailants opened fire indiscriminately, causing panic among villagers and forcing many to flee,” one local source said.
In response, security forces have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators. Troops of Operation Fansan Yanma, police tactical teams from the Gidan-Madi Division, and local vigilante groups have intensified patrols along forest corridors and border routes linking Nigeria and the Niger Republic.
The attack is the latest in a string of violent incidents plaguing Sokoto’s border areas, raising fears about worsening insecurity during the planting season. Community leaders have expressed concern that continued violence could trigger food shortages and displace more rural dwellers.
Authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information to aid efforts to restore peace in the region.
