Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Sokoto, Nigeria — Bandits suspected of operating in the northwest bandit corridor carried out a brutal raid late Monday night, 26 January 2026, on communities in the Sabon‑Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing two residents and beheading a newly abducted bride, according to multiple local sources.
Residents said armed assailants stormed Dan Kura village, where they opened fire on civilians and looted valuables before moving onward. Two villagers were reportedly shot dead during the assault, leaving families in shock and mourning. The attackers did not stop there. Local accounts indicate that the bandits subsequently descended on Dankaka village, allegedly in search of a groom believed to be affiliated with a local vigilante group. When the groom could not be found, the gunmen abducted the bride and executed her before fleeing into the surrounding bushland with other stolen items. Though this specific incident is still being verified by official security agencies, it aligns with longstanding reports of bandit violence that has plagued Sabon‑Birni and neighbouring communities for years. Sabon‑Birni has been a flashpoint for banditry, with previous raids, abductions and levies by armed groups reported in the LGA due to its proximity to forest corridors and porous borders. Historian and regional security analyses describe how villages in Sabon‑Birni have frequently faced violent incursions, killings and kidnappings linked to criminal gangs over the past decade.
Banditry in northwest Nigeria, including Sokoto State, remains one of the country’s most intractable security challenges. In recent years, criminal elements have carried out deadly attacks on rural settlements, abducted civilians for ransom or retaliation, and exerted control over swathes of territory by imposing levies or exploiting weak security presence. Security authorities have periodically launched joint military and police operations to disrupt these networks, and some recent operations have reportedly neutralised several armed bandits and recovered weapons.
The wave of violence has deep economic and humanitarian consequences for affected communities. Residents often describe living under constant threat, with insecurity undermining farming activities, education and local commerce. Attacks frequently force villagers to flee their homes, displace families and sow fear long after the immediate assault. The execution of a bride following an abduction — as reported by local sources — marks a particularly grisly escalation that underscores the risks faced by civilians in these remote areas.
Local leaders and community groups have appealed to both Sokoto State Government and federal security agencies to intensify patrols, bolster intelligence gathering and protect vulnerable villages. They have reiterated calls for sustained security deployments, including collaboration with local vigilante forces that possess intimate knowledge of the terrain. Analysts argue that without a durable security presence and comprehensive counter‑insurgency strategy, sporadic operations alone are unlikely to deter the entrenched networks behind such attacks.
Security officials have not yet issued formal statements confirming the details of the Dan Kura and Dankaka attacks. However, the pattern of violence reported by residents is consistent with the historical insecurity that has afflicted the LGA and other parts of northwest Nigeria, where bandit groups have operated with considerable lethality and adaptability.
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