At least 17 people have been killed after armed bandits launched a deadly assault on Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in an incident that also saw widespread looting and the displacement of residents.
Eyewitness accounts, as reported by The PUNCH, indicated that the attackers stormed the community on Sunday morning in large numbers, riding on motorcycles and opening fire indiscriminately while breaking into shops and stealing valuables.
Community sources said the gunmen—reportedly numbering in the hundreds—entered the area between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., triggering panic as residents scattered in different directions in a desperate bid to escape.
“They started shooting immediately they entered the town. People ran everywhere to save their lives, but 17 persons were killed in the attack,” a resident who asked not to be named said.
Those killed were said to include both locals and visitors who had travelled to the area for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. Residents identified some of the victims as Munde, Nagoma, Abdullahi, Danbala, Munden Chana, Muhammadu Dan Amo, Hassan, Abubakar Danbaba and Yidi Bafillace.
Community reports further stated that five of the deceased were visitors from Adarawa in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, while two others had come from Gidan Gambo in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State for the Sallah holiday.
Residents also alleged that the attackers, believed to have crossed into the area from Zamfara State through rural routes, remained in the community for several hours after the assault, preventing evacuation efforts and delaying the recovery of bodies.
“They stayed in the town till about 7 p.m. Nobody could come out. Burial prayers only held after 9:30 p.m. when they finally left,” another resident recounted.
In addition to the killings, the assailants were said to have looted about 20 shops before extending their movement to nearby settlements such as Kukoki and Birnin Magaji, where further abductions were reportedly carried out.
Some of those kidnapped were later said to have escaped during the night amid confusion caused by a heavy rainstorm.
The attack led to fresh waves of displacement, with many residents fleeing Dangulbi and surrounding villages to seek safety in neighbouring local government areas including Tureta, Shagari, Gummi, and Bukkuyum.
Community members have called on authorities to urgently increase security deployment in the region, arguing that poor road access has continued to hinder rapid response during such attacks.
“We are calling on the government to urgently deploy more security personnel here. These repeated attacks are making life unbearable,” a resident appealed.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said security forces had already been mobilised to the area to contain the situation and restore order.
“I am aware of the incident. Our operatives are on the ground working to contain the situation and ensure peace returns to the area,” he stated.
The latest violence adds to ongoing insecurity concerns in Sokoto State, where repeated rural raids by armed groups have continued to endanger lives, disrupt farming activities, and force mass displacement across affected communities.
