Tears as Bandits Kill 17, Including Seven Sallah Visitors, in Sokoto Attack
- Armed bandits riding on about 150 motorcycles stormed the 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, May 31, 2026, following a violent attack on the Dangulbi community in the 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.
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 the Bukkuyum Local Government Area before spending the night in Gizazza village.
“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 Sokoto bandit 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 the Shagari LGA, making a total of seven visitors killed.
Bandit attack leaves Sokoto 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 9:30 pm,” one source explained.
About 20 shops were looted, and many villagers fled into nearby forests.
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 for the Sokoto State Police Command confirmed awareness of the incident, stating that security operatives were “on top of the situation.”
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 their lives.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
