Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
At least 17 people, including seven visitors who had travelled to Sokoto State for the Eid‑el‑Kabir celebrations, were killed on Sunday, 31 May 2026, when a large group of armed bandits on about 150 motorcycles stormed the farming community of Dangulbi in Tureta Local Government Area. The attackers arrived between 10am and 11am, firing indiscriminately, looting approximately 20 shops, and holding the village hostage for nearly nine hours before withdrawing around 7pm. Residents said the gunmen departed from Bagega village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, passed through Barayar Zaki in Bukkuyum LGA, and spent the night in Gizazza village before launching the assault. Despite receiving information about the bandits’ movement on Saturday, the community could not prevent the attack.
According to a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, the attackers began shooting immediately upon arrival, sending villagers fleeing into nearby forests. Seventeen bodies were recovered after the assailants finally left. Among the deceased were residents identified by community sources as Munde, Nagoma, Abdullahi, Danbala, Munden Chana, Muhammadu Dan Amo, Hassan, Abubakar Danbaba and Yidi Bafillace. The seven visitors among the dead comprised five who had travelled from Adarawa in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State and two from Gidan Gambo in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State, all of whom had returned home to celebrate Sallah with relatives.
The gunmen looted about 20 shops before moving through nearby communities, including Kukoki and Birnin Magaji, where they abducted several residents. However, according to residents, a heavy rainstorm that broke out on Sunday night created confusion among the abductors, allowing the captives to escape. The storm also forced many families to flee deeper into the forests, where they spent the night exposed to the elements.
The attackers remained in Dangulbi for several hours after the killings, preventing residents from retrieving and burying the dead. “They stayed in the village and nobody could come out to bury the dead bodies. It was only after about 7pm when they finally left that residents returned,” a resident told Daily Trust. Funeral prayers for the victims were eventually conducted after 9:30pm.
The attack has displaced many families, with residents fleeing to neighbouring communities in Tureta, Shagari, Gummi and Bukkuyum local government areas. Community leaders have appealed to both the federal and Sokoto State governments to deploy additional security personnel and improve road infrastructure, arguing that poor road access often delays security responses and leaves rural areas vulnerable to repeated attacks. Residents noted that the latest incident was one of several deadly attacks recorded in the area in recent weeks, raising concerns about the impact of worsening insecurity on farming activities as the rainy season approaches.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed that security operatives were aware of the incident and had taken control of the situation. However, as of Tuesday, 2 June 2026, no arrests had been reported.
The attack on Dangulbi came on the same day that gunmen killed seven people in Gwom‑Ajang village in Foron District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. The two incidents brought the total number of people killed in separate attacks on Sunday to 24. The National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulder‑Association, Rwang Tengwong, who confirmed the Plateau attack, described it as another tragic reminder of the persistent security challenges confronting communities in the state.
In Sokoto, the attack on Dangulbi adds to a growing list of violent incidents in the Tureta axis. The community has previously suffered repeated raids, with residents recalling that this was not the first time armed bandits had targeted their village. Many families have now abandoned their homes, unsure when — or if — they will return. For the seven Sallah visitors who came home to celebrate, the festive season ended not with prayers and feasting, but with bullets and a mass burial under the cover of night.
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