Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Suspected bandits have killed two persons and abducted 17 others, including three orphaned children, in coordinated attacks on communities in Sabon Birni and Wurno local government areas of Sokoto State, residents told Daily Trust. The attacks occurred late on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, and in the early hours of Wednesday, June 17, 2026, with the assailants taking advantage of heavy rainstorms to invade the villages.
A resident of Tarah village in Sabon Birni LGA, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told Daily Trust that the attackers arrived on foot at about 10 p.m. and launched a house-to-house operation, breaking down doors in search of residents. Many homes were empty because residents had abandoned them due to persistent insecurity in the area. However, the attackers eventually found and abducted two married women — Lami, wife of Sani Tela, and Hajara, wife of Lauwali Tarno — along with five children. “Three of the abducted children are orphans. Their father has died, and two children of Hami Tela,” the resident said, adding that the children are between the ages of 5 and 9 years. The attackers also killed one person identified as Nazifi Lauwali Kamtsa and shot another resident in the leg. The injured victim was later taken to Orthopedic Hospital Wammako for treatment. The resident lamented that security personnel did not arrive during the attack, adding that residents now spend nights patrolling their community because of recurring attacks by bandits. “We have lived with this insecurity for about seven years. Most men no longer sleep peacefully at night. Some only sleep in the broad daylight,” another resident said.
In a similar attack, suspected bandits stormed Gidan Daji Alkammu village in Wurno Local Government Area at about 1 a.m. on Wednesday, killing one person identified as Hussaini and abducting 10 others. A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said those abducted comprised six women and four men, adding that the heavy rainfall at the time of the attack enabled the assailants to carry out their operation and escape with the victims. When contacted, the spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said he would verify the incidents and get back to the correspondent, but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The latest attacks are part of a growing wave of banditry affecting several communities in Sokoto State, particularly in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, where residents say insecurity has worsened in recent weeks. Sabon Birni has been a hotspot for such raids, with the town hosting many displaced persons from neighbouring communities. The incident has thrown affected families into deeper distress, with many now living in fear as the attacks continue unabated.
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