Armed bandits attacked a rural community in Sokoto State on Sunday, killing two villagers and injuring several others, according to local authorities.
The attack occurred in the Giyawa village of Goronyo Local Government Area around midnight, when the assailants stormed the community, shooting sporadically and setting houses ablaze. Residents said the bandits arrived on motorcycles and took the village by surprise.
“We were asleep when they came. They shot two people dead and wounded others before fleeing,” a local vigilante leader, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told reporters.
Sokoto police spokesperson, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the incident, saying officers had been deployed to restore calm and investigate the attack. He noted that no arrests had been made, but efforts were ongoing to track down the attackers.
The Sokoto State Government condemned the killings and assured residents that security operations would be intensified across rural areas. Governor Ahmed Aliyu described the attack as “cowardly and barbaric” and extended condolences to the families of the victims.
This latest violence adds to a string of similar attacks across Nigeria’s northwest, where armed groups have targeted villages for ransom, food supplies, and livestock. Despite military efforts, communities remain vulnerable to frequent raids.
Human rights groups have urged the federal government to increase protection for rural populations and address the root causes of banditry, including poverty, unemployment, and lack of law enforcement presence.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
