At least 12 people have been killed, including six who were burnt alive, after suspected bandits attacked Lajinge village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State in one of the latest deadly assaults on communities in the state’s eastern axis.
Residents said the attackers invaded the village at about 11 p.m. on Saturday and operated until about 3:30 a.m. on Sunday without any security intervention.
The four-hour attack left several people dead, many others injured, while scores of residents fled for safety as the gunmen moved from house to house, rustled livestock and abducted villagers.
A resident, who spoke on the attack, said 11 of the victims died from gunshot wounds, while another victim, a woman identified as Agada, reportedly died after collapsing from the shock of the incident.
According to the source, the most horrifying part of the attack occurred when six people were burnt alive inside a house after the gunmen surrounded the building.
He explained that the victims had locked themselves inside the room in an attempt to escape the attackers.
“The gunmen ordered those inside to come out, but they refused. The attackers then poured petrol on the room and opened fire. When those inside attempted to escape through the door, they kept shooting at them. Their bodies were left inside the burning room,” the source said.
The victims burnt to death were identified as the head of the household, Mallam Wauro, popularly known in the community as Mallam Roro; his two sons, Ukasha and Mujaheed; two relatives identified as Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami; and an internally displaced person (IDP) who had been taking refuge in the house.
Residents said another victim, Lawwali, was shot dead while trying to escape through the entrance of the same house, bringing the number of people killed in the compound alone to seven.
According to community members, the remaining victims were shot while attempting to flee the village as the attackers advanced.
They included Yusuf and three internally displaced persons who had sought refuge in Lajinge after fleeing previous attacks in neighbouring communities.
Another resident, who participated in the local vigilante operation on the night of the attack, narrated how the assault unfolded.
He said local vigilantes had positioned themselves near the village primary school to keep watch following fears of possible attacks.
“We were at the primary school guarding the village when we suddenly heard heavy gunfire. We all ran for safety and kept moving from one hiding place to another whenever the shooting came closer,” he said.
According to him, the attackers quickly overpowered the local vigilantes and moved freely through the community without resistance.
He said the bandits went from one house to another, stealing cattle, sheep and other livestock belonging to residents.
“They stationed one of their rifles in a strategic location that kept firing while the others entered houses to steal livestock,” the resident said.
He added that after looting several homes, the gunmen moved to another section of the village where they attacked the residence of Mallam Wauro.
Apart from killing him and two of his sons, the attackers reportedly abducted his two wives before making away with all his cattle.
Residents said they could not immediately determine the exact number of people abducted because many villagers were taken into the surrounding bush during the attack.
However, they disclosed that some of those kidnapped, particularly children, were later released by the gunmen for reasons that remain unclear.
The villagers expressed frustration over what they described as the absence of security personnel throughout the four-hour attack.
According to them, repeated distress calls to nearby security formations did not receive any response while the gunmen continued their operation.
“The bandits stayed in our village for hours without any intervention. They even walked along the main road laughing and smoking cigarettes as if they had conquered the community,” one resident alleged.
Community members further claimed that security personnel stationed at Unguwar Lalle and Dan Tudu, both about two kilometres from Lajinge, failed to respond despite being alerted to the attack.
The residents said they had repeatedly appealed to both the state and federal governments to deploy more security personnel to the area because of the increasing number of attacks.
According to them, those requests have yet to receive the desired attention.
The latest attack, they said, came barely three weeks after another assault in which eight residents of the same community were reportedly killed by armed bandits.
The repeated attacks have heightened fears among residents, many of whom now sleep in nearby bushes or flee to safer communities whenever intelligence reports suggest the movement of armed groups.
Sabon Birni Local Government Area remains one of the worst-hit areas in Sokoto State, sharing boundaries with communities in Zamfara State and the Republic of Niger. The area has witnessed frequent attacks by armed groups involved in killings, kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling and the destruction of rural communities.
Over the years, many villages in the local government have experienced repeated attacks, forcing hundreds of families to abandon their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring towns and internally displaced persons’ camps.
Although security agencies have carried out several military operations in parts of Sokoto and neighbouring states under ongoing counter-banditry campaigns, attacks have continued in some remote communities, raising concerns over the safety of residents.
The Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government have repeatedly pledged to strengthen security operations, improve intelligence gathering and restore peace across troubled communities in the North-West.
However, residents of Lajinge say more needs to be done urgently to prevent further bloodshed.
“We are Nigerians and we have voter cards. We elected the government to protect our lives and property. We are pleading with the authorities to deploy security personnel to safeguard our communities,” one resident appealed.
As of the time of filing this report, security authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the latest attack or confirm the casualty figure. Community leaders have continued to call for urgent military reinforcement, warning that more lives could be lost if decisive action is not taken.