At least 13 hunters have been confirmed dead after suspected Lakurawa terrorists ambushed a seasonal hunting trip in Sokoto State’s Tangaza Local Government Area. The attack took place on Thursday afternoon in the Hurumi Forest, where the hunters, armed with Dane guns and accompanied by their dogs, walked directly into a terrorist hideout.
The hunters, who had come from various communities in Tangaza and Gwadabawa Local Government Areas, were caught by surprise despite local authorities warning of violence in the region. As of Friday, three bodies had been recovered, with the whereabouts of 10 other hunters still unknown. Some survivors have returned to their communities, but there are concerns that several of the hunters may have been abducted by the terrorists.
Reports from the area suggest that local communities, including Kangiye, Chancha, Rantijadi, and Gandaba, lost several hunters in the attack.
The violence continued when the Lakurawa militants launched a separate assault on Magonho village on Friday. Although the military quickly repelled the attack and recovered rustled livestock, the insurgents returned hours later to bomb an MTN telecommunications mast, cutting off mobile network access to the area.
The local government has said the terrorists intended to use the hunters as bait to lure security forces into an ambush. Thanks to intelligence gathered from local operatives, the military was not deployed to the area during the attack, preventing a larger crisis.
The Lakurawa group has grown bolder in recent months, using more sophisticated tactics, including planting landmines to secure their camps. These militants have focused less on imposing their laws on local communities and more on looting livestock and targeting security personnel.
One local government official shared concerns over the lack of control in rural areas, where the insurgents operate with near-impunity. He explained that several communities, particularly in Salewa ward, are completely under the control of the terrorists. The official also mentioned that military operations are severely hampered by insufficient personnel and resources, as well as local informants leaking military movements to the insurgents.
In response to the growing violence, the Sokoto State government has pledged to collaborate with security agencies to restore peace, though local residents continue to express concerns about the terrorists’ unchecked access to rural areas.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to locate the missing hunters, with combined forces of security operatives and local vigilantes searching the forest. The search has been delayed due to shortages in security personnel and patrol vehicles, but officials remain hopeful.
The ongoing violence in Sokoto follows a similar pattern of attacks by terrorist groups across northern Nigeria, with the recent murder of 10 hunters in Adamawa State adding to the grim tally of casualties linked to terrorism in the region.
