Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
SOKOTO, Nigeria — Suspected bandits have killed the Chief Imam of Talluje village in Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State, marking the third time in recent weeks that a Muslim cleric has been gunned down by armed groups terrorising the North-West, according to multiple reports.
The attack, which occurred on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at about 4:00 p.m., targeted Talluje and the neighbouring Chofi village in Danchadi District. The assailants launched coordinated assaults on both communities simultaneously, shooting indiscriminately and unleashing a wave of terror that lasted nearly two hours. The Chief Imam of Talluje, identified as Malam Bashar, was killed alongside two other residents whose identities have yet to be confirmed, according to a community leader in Danchadi who spoke to Daily Trust.
The gunmen entered the communities through Duma village, which shares a border with Tureta Local Government Area, riding on motorcycles, according to residents who fled the attack. They rustled an unspecified number of livestock and looted valuables, including mobile phones, before retreating. A resident, Malam Mainasara Danjuma, who fled Talluje, told Daily Trust that the attackers remained in the community until about 12 midnight, going from house to house looting valuables.
The attacks triggered mass displacement, with hundreds of residents, mostly women and children, fleeing on foot to safer areas in Danchadi and Bodinga town. “As I speak, many people are arriving in our communities carrying their belongings after escaping from the affected villages,” the source added.
The killing of Malam Bashar is the third time a chief imam has been killed in Sokoto State within the past few weeks. On June 24, 2026, bandits killed the Chief Imam of Kuda-Kuda village in Goronyo Local Government Area. Days earlier, the Chief Imam of another community was also killed in a similar attack. The pattern has raised alarm among residents, who fear that clerics are being specifically targeted.
However, a Sokoto-based security analyst, Basharu Altine Guyawa, told Daily Trust that there was no evidence to suggest that bandits deliberately target Islamic clerics. He noted that unlike the Lakurawa group, bandits are not driven by religious ideology and do not single out imams because of their positions. The Turakin Gobir, Alhaji Sirajo Isa, explained that clerics often become victims because most attacks occur at prayer time. “The Imam is usually the one leading the prayers and, naturally, he is often the last person to leave the mosque. In the confusion, he becomes one of the easiest victims,” Isa said.
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed the attack and the killing of the chief imam. “We have received reports of the attack and have mobilised our anti-kidnapping unit to the area because there are fears the bandits may return,” the officer said.
The spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the attack but said he had not been fully briefed on the incident and could therefore not confirm the number of casualties or whether any residents were abducted. Efforts to reach him for further comment were unsuccessful.
The attack is part of a wider pattern of violence in the North-West, where bandits and terrorists have continued to terrorise rural communities, killing, kidnapping, and displacing thousands despite ongoing military operations. The repeated killing of religious leaders has deepened the sense of vulnerability among residents, who feel abandoned by the state.
As the community of Talluje and Chofi villages mourns its dead, the question remains: how many more clerics must die before the government takes decisive action to end the cycle of violence?
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments