15 Killed as Notorious Bandits Hit Sokoto Village in Pre-Dawn Raid

Armed bandits launched a violent attack on Kwallaijiya village in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to local residents, the assailants, believed to be members of the dreaded Charambe bandit group, stormed the village at dawn, firing indiscriminately at sleeping residents.

The coordinated assault left the community in mourning, with many homes torched and survivors battling life-threatening injuries.

Eyewitnesses say the attackers moved swiftly, catching villagers off guard as they began shooting sporadically. ”

They came before daybreak. We just started hearing gunshots, people screaming, and before we knew it, bodies were everywhere,” said Musa Lawali, a local farmer who narrowly escaped the attack.

The massacre has once again raised serious concerns about the worsening state of security in parts of Sokoto, especially in Tangaza and its surrounding communities. Some residents alleged that certain individuals within the community may be colluding with the terrorists, enabling their deadly operations.

“There are collaborators among us,” a local youth leader, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, told reporters. “They give information to these bandits and allow them to operate freely. We’ve reported these suspicions several times but nothing has been done.”

The Executive Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Council, Hon. Isa Bashir Kalanjeni, visited the devastated village shortly after the attack and attended the mass burial of the victims. He condemned the killings and assured residents that efforts were underway to strengthen local security measures.

“This is a black day for our people,” Kalanjeni said during the burial ceremony. “We are coordinating with security agencies and the state government to ensure these criminals are tracked down and brought to justice.

We can no longer tolerate this level of bloodshed.”

As of press time, the Sokoto State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on the incident. Multiple attempts to reach the police spokesperson were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile lines went unanswered.

The latest attack adds to the growing list of deadly raids by bandits in northwestern Nigeria, where rural communities have suffered repeated assaults despite ongoing military operations. Calls for more decisive federal intervention continue to mount as residents demand protection and justice.