Suspected Bandits Massacre 20 In Sokoto Days After Killing 17

Residents of Dan Gulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State have been forced to flee their homes for the second time in less than a week following another attack by armed bandits.

The latest assault occurred on Tuesday, just 48 hours after an earlier attack that reportedly killed 17 residents and visitors who had returned to the village to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir with their families.

Witnesses said dozens of gunmen riding motorcycles stormed the community, firing indiscriminately and sending residents running for safety.

Community members claimed that more than 20 people may have been killed in the latest attack, while several houses were set ablaze.

As of Wednesday, many residents were still searching for missing relatives and assessing the damage left behind.

The renewed violence has heightened fears among villagers, many of whom say they no longer feel safe returning home despite the end of the festive period.

“We are living in fear,” one resident said. “People who came home to celebrate Sallah are now either dead, displaced or missing.”

The attacks have also disrupted economic and social activities in the area, with many families abandoning their farms and livelihoods amid growing insecurity.

The incident has triggered renewed calls for stronger security measures across rural communities in Sokoto State.

Reacting to the attack, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, described the recurring violence as a tragedy that demands urgent action from authorities.

Dan’iya, a former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, expressed concern over the repeated targeting of Dan Gulbi within such a short period.

“The continued killing of innocent citizens in Dan Gulbi is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” he said.

He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend those responsible and called for improved intelligence gathering, stronger collaboration among security agencies and better protection for vulnerable communities.

Dan’iya also appealed to both the federal and Sokoto State governments to provide additional resources for security operations in the North-West, while encouraging residents to support security agencies with credible information.

The latest attack adds to growing concerns over persistent banditry in parts of Sokoto State, where rural communities continue to face recurring violence, displacement and loss of livelihoods.

For many residents of Dan Gulbi, however, the immediate concern is survival and whether it is safe to return to the homes they fled only days ago.