Tears as Bandits Kill Seven Sallah Visitors in Nigeria During Deadly Attack

Tears as Bandits Kill Seven Sallah Visitors in Nigeria During Deadly Attack

  • Armed bandits riding on about 150 motorcycles stormed Dangulbi community in Sokoto State, killing 17 people, including seven Sallah visitors
  • The attackers looted shops, abducted residents, and forced villagers to flee into nearby forests, leaving the community in fear and mourning
  • Locals have appealed to the federal and state governments for urgent intervention, warning that continued insecurity threatens farming and daily life

No fewer than 17 people, including seven Sallah visitors, were killed on Sunday, June 1, 2026, following a violent attack on Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Residents reported that the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons and riding on about 150 motorcycles, stormed the village in broad daylight, opening fire and looting shops.

Sallah visitors killed during violent raid in Dangulbi village.
Bandits attack Sokoto community as 17 villagers lose their lives. Photo credit: Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Attackers’ route before the assault

According to eyewitnesses who spoke to Dailytrust, the bandits departed from Bagega village in Zamfara State, believed to be one of their major hideouts. They moved through Barayar Zaki in Bukkuyum Local Government Area before spending the night in Gizazza village.

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“We received information about their movement on Saturday. They came from Bagega and passed through Barayar Zaki before reaching Gizazza. Usually, whenever they want to attack our communities, they spend the night there and move in the following morning,” a resident said.

Victims of the attack

The attackers entered Dangulbi between 10am and 11am, firing indiscriminately. Among the victims were Munde, Nagoma, Abdullahi, Danbala, Munden Chana, Muhammadu Dan Amo, Hassan, Abubakar Danbaba and Yidi Bafillace.

Five of the deceased were visitors from Adarawa in Gummi LGA of Zamfara State, while two others came from Gidan Gambo in Shagari LGA, making a total of seven visitors killed.

Community in fear

Residents said the bandits remained in the community until evening, preventing funeral rites. “They stayed in the village and nobody could come out to bury the dead bodies. It was only after about 7pm when they finally left that residents returned. Funeral prayers for the victims were eventually conducted after 9:30pm,” one source explained. About 20 shops were looted, and many villagers fled into nearby forests.

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After leaving Dangulbi, the attackers abducted residents in Kukoki and Birnin Magaji, demanding petrol for their motorcycles. However, a rainstorm later that night allowed the captives to escape. Despite this, the bandits reportedly returned on Monday morning, continuing their attacks in neighbouring villages.

Calls for government intervention

Residents appealed to both the federal and Sokoto State governments to urgently deploy more security personnel. “We have been suffering repeated attacks for a long time, yet we hardly get the support we need. If urgent action is not taken, our people may not even be able to go to their farms this season,” one resident said. Another highlighted poor road infrastructure as a major challenge, stressing that better roads would improve security response times.

The spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command confirmed awareness of the incident, stating that security operatives were “on top of the situation.”

Sokoto insecurity worsens with repeated assaults threatening farming activities.
Residents flee forests as shops are looted and gunfire spreads. Photo credit: AFP via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Gunmen kill 2, kidnap villagers

Legit.ng earlier reported that Gunmen invaded the Ayegunle Bunu community, killed two persons, and kidnapped several others in Kogi State. The armed men blocked the highway linking the town to neighbouring areas in the early hours of Monday, June 1, 2026.

As reported by Daily Trust, residents said the gunmen opened fire on arrival, causing panic as the people fled for safety.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Basit Jamiu avatar

Basit Jamiu (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Basit Jamiu is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 5 years. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Nasarawa State University (2023). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022). He is a 2025 CRA Grantee, 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow. Email: basitjamiu1st@gmail.com and basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.

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