At least 20 people have been killed following a deadly attack by armed bandits on Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in what residents described as one of the most devastating assaults on the area in recent months.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday morning, left several others injured and displaced scores of residents as gunmen stormed the community in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately, looting shops and forcing villagers to flee into nearby forests for safety.
Local sources said the attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, invaded the village between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., opening fire on residents and triggering widespread panic.
Residents disclosed that many of those killed were visitors who had travelled to the community to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival. The victims reportedly included men, women and youths caught in the surprise attack.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the assailants operated freely for several hours, preventing community members from recovering bodies or attending to the wounded.
“They started shooting immediately they entered the village. People ran in different directions, but many could not escape,” the resident said.
Sources further alleged that the gunmen had moved through neighbouring communities before converging on Dangulbi, where they carried out the deadly attack and looted several shops.
Some residents were also reportedly abducted during the raid, although a number of them later escaped amid confusion caused by a heavy rainstorm.
The attack triggered a mass exodus from Dangulbi and surrounding settlements, with many residents seeking refuge in safer communities across Tureta and neighbouring local government areas.
Community leaders have since appealed to both the Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government to strengthen security presence in the area, warning that repeated attacks are threatening livelihoods and disrupting farming activities ahead of the rainy season.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, confirmed that security agencies were aware of the attack and were working to restore normalcy and prevent further violence.
The latest assault has heightened concerns over the worsening security situation in parts of Sokoto State, where rural communities continue to face recurring attacks by armed groups despite ongoing security operations.
