21 Feared Dead, 37 Abducted as Bandits Attack Sokoto Community

No fewer than 21 persons are feared dead and 37 others abducted after heavily armed bandits attacked Tsamaye community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The attack began around 9 p.m. on Monday and continued until after 3 a.m. on Tuesday. Two houses were burnt, livestock was stolen and the community was largely deserted.

Residents said the attackers answered calls made to the phones of missing persons and confirmed they had taken 37 people.

A further tragedy occurred when villagers tried to flee across a river. Overloaded boats capsized, throwing about 25 people, mostly women and children, into the water. Seven were rescued while 18 others remain missing and are feared drowned.

Residents identified some of those killed as Kabiru Mallam Tanimu, Ayuba Mallam Hashim and Yakubu Mu’azu. Many others remain unaccounted for.

The violence forced residents of neighbouring settlements, including Borai, Tsululu, Garin Tudu and others, to abandon their homes.

The attack is the latest in a series of raids that have left ordinary farming communities in Sokoto State vulnerable, with families displaced and livelihoods disrupted.