Were 37 Hausa Women Exhumed After Sokoto Attack? Fact Emerges
- A Facebook page, Hausaland Magazine, claimed that residents exhumed the bodies of 37 Hausa women allegedly massacred by Fulani militia in Kebbe LGA, Sokoto
- The post, published on Monday, August 17, 2026, generated several reactions and comments calling for ethnic retaliation
- Legit.ng investigated the claim by reviewing credible media reports to determine whether the specific details could be verified
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Sokoto, Sokoto state - A Facebook page, Hausaland Magazine, published a post on Monday, August 17, 2026.
It claimed that residents of Kebbe Local Government Area (LGA) in Sokoto state had exhumed the bodies of 37 Hausa women allegedly massacred by Fulani militia.
Source: Original
The caption on the post read:
"Horror in Sokoto: Residents exhume 37 Hausa women's bodies, masßacred by Fûlani militia in Kebbe LG ©families."
See the Facebook post below:
By Friday, August 21, 2026, the post had received 216 likes, 118 comments and 192 shares.
Several commenters responded with calls for ethnic mobilisation.
Kabiru Hamza wrote:
"Hausa people, we have to unite ourselves definitely before those bandits kill us all; we have to contribute and defend ourselves."
Moses Eze wrote:
"Pick up arms, Hausas; stop waiting."
Ikechukwu Onyenacho used the post to question the effectiveness of Sharia law in addressing insecurity in northern Nigeria.
Sokoto: What credible reports actually show
The inflammatory nature of the claim led Legit.ng to verify it against available media coverage.
Reports from credible outlets confirm that armed men attacked communities in Kebbe LGA, killing dozens of residents.
A Daily Trust report published on Sunday, August 16, 2026, titled 'Bandits invade Sokoto community, kill 32', stated that at least 32 people were killed in Ungushi community after attackers struck while residents were observing Jumat (Friday) prayers. Witnesses disclosed that the assailants returned multiple times, shooting residents before security personnel arrived.
One resident told the paper:
"Today, some people were conducting funeral prayers for the victims while others were going around looking for more bodies. Eventually, we recovered and buried 32 bodies."
Source: Facebook
Based on confirmation from Ahmed Rufai, the Sokoto police spokesperson, the death toll was 28. The victims included Imam Aliyu, the chief imam of Ungushi Izala Jumat Mosque, as well as farmers, traders and other residents.
Anadolu published a separate report, also citing at least 28 deaths and naming Imam Aliyu among those killed.
None of the reports reviewed mentioned 37 women as victims, confirmed that the dead were exclusively female, or made any reference to bodies being exhumed after burial.
Verdict: Viral Sokoto claim is misleading
Meanwhile, there is also a factual discrepancy regarding who carried out the attack. While Hausaland Magazine described the attackers as a "Fulani militia," reports from prominent Nigerian media platforms referred to them as bandits, armed men, and elements allegedly connected to the Lakurawa terrorist organisation. No credible report described the attack as ethnically motivated or targeting victims specifically because they were Hausa.
Legit.ng's scrutiny finds that a real and deadly attack occurred in Kebbe LGA. However, the claim that 37 Hausa women were massacred and their bodies subsequently exhumed is not supported by any credible evidence. The post is therefore misleading.
Read more Sokoto state news:
- Police arrest bandit financiers in Sokoto, bike thieves during coordinated operation
- Did bandits attack Tofa village in Sokoto, kill many residents? Council chairman speaks out
- “This is the village chief”: Sultan of Sokoto makes joke about Tinubu’s ADC, video trends
Ex-Sokoto PDP chair is dead
Legit.ng earlier reported that Ibrahim Milgoma, a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto, died.
According to a statement released by the party's spokesperson, Hassan Sanyinnawal, Milgoma died following a prolonged illness.
The party mourned his death, calling it a significant loss both to the PDP in Sokoto state and to the party at the national level.
Source: Legit.ng
