Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Suspected bandits launched a deadly assault on farming communities in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Sunday, August 30, 2026, killing at least five farmers and injuring several others in what local sources described as a reprisal attack following a recent military operation against the criminal groups.
According to multiple reports, the attackers struck the communities of Ghandi and Gidan Kare between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, targeting farmers as they were heading to their farms. In Ghandi, three farmers were killed, while two others lost their lives in Gidan Kare, where the attackers also reportedly set some houses ablaze. Five other persons sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to a hospital for treatment.
A security source who spoke with Daily Trust said the attack was believed to be a reprisal for the killing of bandits during a recent security operation in the area. "We suspect it was a reprisal attack following the last operation by security operatives, which led to the killing of 15 bandits at Maikujera," the source said.
The attack came just two days after troops of the Nigerian Army launched a major clearance operation in Maikujera town, also in Rabah LGA, killing scores of suspected bandits linked to the network of notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji. The military operation had targeted the Maikujera axis, which bandits had been using as a transit corridor for moving stolen cattle from Gandi town and adjoining communities.
Residents of Ghandi and neighbouring communities, particularly farmers, have been left in fear following the latest attack. The bandits reportedly fled the scene before security personnel could arrive.
The Sokoto State Police Command, through its spokesperson DSP Ahmed Rufai, confirmed the incident but said details were still being gathered.
This attack underscores the ongoing cycle of violence in Nigeria's North-West, where military operations against bandits often trigger retaliatory attacks on civilian populations. As one resident told Punch, "We believe this was a retaliatory attack because some members of the group were killed by security personnel in the last few days".
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