Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Hundreds of residents have abandoned their homes in parts of Bodinga Local Government Area, Sokoto State, following a deadly bandit attack that killed the Chief Imam of Talluje village and two other residents, forcing entire communities to flee on foot amid fears of further assaults. The attack, which began at about 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, targeted Talluje and neighbouring Chofi villages in Danchadi District and lasted for nearly two hours, with the assailants shooting indiscriminately and rustling an unspecified number of livestock.
The victims included the Chief Imam of Talluje, identified as Malam Bashar, and two other residents whose identities have yet to be confirmed, according to a community leader in Danchadi. The attack triggered mass displacement, with residents, mostly women and children, fleeing on foot to safer areas in Danchadi and Bodinga town. A resident who fled Talluje, Malam Mainasara Danjuma, said the gunmen invaded the village at about 4:00 p.m. when many people were on their farms, while others were at home resting. He said the attackers remained in the community until about 12 midnight, going from house to house looting valuables, including mobile phones.
Local sources said the attackers entered the communities through Duma village, which shares a border with Tureta Local Government Area, riding on motorcycles. The bandits launched coordinated attacks on both communities simultaneously, shooting indiscriminately before fleeing with an unspecified number of rustled livestock. The attack, which began at about 4:00 p.m., lasted until about 6:00 p.m., according to a community leader in Danchadi. The attacks triggered mass displacement as residents, mostly women and children, fled the affected villages on foot, with many moving to safer areas in Danchadi and Bodinga town.
A community leader in Danchadi said the bandits killed the chief imam and two other persons, adding that the attacks triggered mass displacement, with residents, mostly women and children, fleeing on foot to safer areas. Another resident confirmed that the attackers also rustled a large number of livestock, although the exact figure could not be immediately verified. One resident told a news outlet, "As I speak, many people are arriving in our communities carrying their belongings after escaping from the affected villages". A displaced woman reportedly said her husband was killed during the violence.
The killing of Malam Bashar marks 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.
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. Reports further indicate that residents of Zango, Biri, Illela, Taƙule, Horo, Danbaro, and other nearby communities have abandoned their villages amid fears of further attacks.
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?
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