Sokoto bandit attack leaves 17 dead, including Eid visitors, after gunmen invaded Dangulbi community, looted shops and forced residents to flee

No fewer than 17 people, including seven visitors who had travelled for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, were killed on Sunday when heavily armed bandits launched a deadly attack on Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

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Residents said hundreds of attackers riding motorcycles stormed the community between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., firing indiscriminately at villagers, looting shops and forcing many residents to flee into nearby forests.

According to local sources, the assailants were believed to have travelled from Bagega village in neighbouring Zamfara State through Barayar Zaki in Bukkuyum Local Government Area before spending the night in Gizazza village ahead of the assault.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the gunmen began shooting immediately after entering the community, triggering panic and chaos.

“They started shooting as soon as they arrived. People ran in different directions in search of safety, but 17 people lost their lives during the attack,” the resident said.

Among those killed were Munde, Nagoma, Abdullahi, Danbala, Munden Chana, Muhammadu Dan Amo, Hassan, Abubakar Danbaba and Yidi Bafillace.

The resident disclosed that five of the victims had travelled from Adarawa in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, while two others came from Gidan Gambo in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State to celebrate the Sallah festivities with relatives.

The Sokoto Bandit Attack left the community paralysed for several hours as residents remained trapped indoors while the gunmen maintained their presence in the area.

According to residents, the attackers stayed in the community until about 7 p.m., preventing families from recovering bodies or conducting burial rites.

“They stayed until about 7 p.m., making it impossible for anyone to come out. Funeral prayers were eventually conducted after 9:30 p.m. when they left,” the source added.

Residents further alleged that the bandits looted approximately 20 shops before moving towards neighbouring communities, including Kukoki and Birnin Magaji, where several persons were reportedly abducted.

In a dramatic development, some of the abducted victims were said to have regained their freedom later that night after a heavy rainstorm created confusion among the kidnappers.

The attack has triggered fresh displacement across the area, with many residents fleeing Dangulbi and neighbouring settlements to seek refuge in safer locations within Tureta, Shagari, Gummi and Bukkuyum local government areas.

Community leaders and residents appealed to both the federal and state governments to urgently strengthen security deployments in the region.

They also called for improvements to road infrastructure, arguing that poor access routes often delay security responses and expose rural communities to repeated attacks.

The latest bloodshed adds to growing concerns over escalating insecurity across parts of Sokoto and neighbouring states, where recurring attacks by armed groups continue to threaten lives, livelihoods and farming activities ahead of the rainy season.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said security agencies were aware of the attack and had intensified efforts to restore normalcy in the affected communities.

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He added that security operatives were working to contain the situation and prevent further attacks.