Bandits Kill 21, Abduct 37 and Displace Thousands in Fresh Attack
- Heavily armed bandits raided Tsamaye community in Sabon Birni LGA, Sokoto State, in an attack that lasted from around 9:00 p.m. Monday until after 3:00 a.m. Tuesday
- About 25 people, mostly women and children, were swept away when overloaded boats capsized as villagers tried to flee across a river during the attack
- Residents said security personnel stationed in the village told local vigilantes they lacked adequate equipment and did not intervene during the raid
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Sokoto State - No fewer than 21 people were feared killed and 37 others abducted after armed bandits stormed Tsamaye community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The Monday night attack forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes.
Source: Twitter
The attack began around 8:00 p.m. on Monday, August 3, 2026, and continued past 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
As reported by Daily Trust, witnesses said the bandits moved from house to house, compelling residents to identify wealthy households and point out where livestock were kept.
Two homes were razed and animals stolen before the attackers withdrew.
Boats capsize as villagers try to flee
The assault set off a second tragedy when scores of residents, on hearing that the gunmen were closing in, scrambled into boats to cross a nearby river.
The overloaded vessels capsized. About 25 people, mostly women and children, were swept away by the current.
Seven were pulled out alive, while 18 others are feared drowned, with families still searching for their missing relatives.
One resident told journalists that relatives discovered the abductions when they tried calling their loved ones and the bandits answered.
"When we called our relatives, the bandits answered the phones and told us they were the ones who abducted them. They said they had taken 37 people."
He added that many of those seized were not even inside the village at the time. Because of repeated past attacks, many families had taken to sleeping in surrounding farms and bushes to avoid being targeted. This time, the bandits searched through those same farms.
"Most of those abducted were women and children. I personally saw three infants placed on the ground by the bandits while they led their mothers away."
Security personnel did not respond
A local vigilante member, who asked not to be named, said he alerted security operatives deployed in the community and asked them to join the effort to confront the gunmen.
He said they declined, citing a lack of adequate equipment. The vigilante said the security forces urgently need Armoured Personnel Carriers to operate effectively across the difficult terrain.
Residents identified three people confirmed killed as Kabiru Mallam Tanimu, Ayuba Mallam Hashim and Yakubu Mu'azu. Two houses belonging to Lawwali Ta'u Mai Chaji and a vigilante member named Hassan Hasken Halara were burnt to the ground.
Fewer than 20 residents are now said to remain in Tsamaye. More than 100 vehicles have transported displaced people out of the area, and surrounding settlements including Borai, Tsululu, Garin Tudu and more than a dozen others have also been emptied.
The State Police spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said additional personnel had been deployed to the area.
Source: Original
Bandits kill 12, burn 6 alive in fresh attack
Recall that suspected bandits stormed Lajinge village in Sabon Birni LGA, Sokoto State, at around 11pm on Saturday and operated for over four hours.
Six people were burnt alive after gunmen poured petrol on a room where residents had taken shelter and refused to come out.
Residents said security personnel stationed just 2km away did not respond to repeated distress calls throughout the entire attack.
Source: Legit.ng
