Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Bandits reportedly moved through parts of Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Wednesday morning, stopping travellers and moving through farming communities before a later encounter left a police inspector dead.
According to an eyewitness account obtained by Stone Reporters, the armed men were seen around Shagari farmlands in the morning as they moved towards Sanyin Nawal village.
The eyewitness said the bandits reportedly stopped some vehicles conveying travellers along the route and robbed passengers before continuing their movement through the rural communities.
The account further stated that the armed men later stopped around a nearby pond, where they reportedly bathed before eating food and drinking Maltina.
The eyewitness said the group subsequently set a motorcycle ablaze before moving through villages around the Sanyin Nawal community.
According to the account, the bandits later returned through the area in the evening, around Maghrib, when they reportedly encountered a passenger vehicle.
The eyewitness said the armed men opened fire at the vehicle during the encounter, hitting a police officer identified as Inspector Isah Muhammad Girkau.
The officer was reportedly fatally wounded in the attack.
The eyewitness expressed sadness over the death of the police inspector, praying that Allah forgive him and grant him Aljanna Firdausi.
“Inspector Isah Muhammad Girkau was hit by a bullet and sadly lost his life,” the eyewitness said.
The account could not independently establish the number of travellers who were robbed during the earlier incidents or whether other people were injured or abducted during the attack.
There was also no immediate official statement from the Sokoto State Police Command available to independently confirm the reported killing of Inspector Girkau or provide details of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The reported attack comes amid continuing concerns over banditry in rural communities across Sokoto State, particularly in areas where farming and commercial activities have been disrupted by attacks.
In June 2026, the Sokoto State Government said recent bandit attacks had claimed lives in communities within Shagari Local Government Area, while urging residents to strengthen cooperation with security agencies and report suspicious movements.
Earlier in September 2025, the member representing Yabo-Shagari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Umar Yusuf Yabo, also raised concerns over a series of deadly bandit attacks in communities within the constituency, saying the insecurity had forced some residents to flee their homes.
The latest eyewitness account has again raised questions about the security of roads and farming communities in the area, particularly the ability of armed groups to move through rural settlements and encounter travellers without immediate intervention from security agencies.
The eyewitness questioned how long residents and road users would continue to face the threat of armed groups moving through communities and attacking people.
The circumstances surrounding the reported death of Inspector Girkau, the identities of those responsible and the full extent of the reported attacks remain subject to official confirmation and investigation.
Stone Reporters will continue to monitor the situation and update the report if the Sokoto State Police Command or other relevant security authorities issue an official statement.
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