Bandits Shoot 10yr Old Boy Dead, Abduct Several Others in Fresh Attack in Sokoto Community

A wave of coordinated bandit attacks has left one child dead and 43 people abducted in Takatsaba and Tarah villages, both located in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

According to local residents, heavily armed bandits stormed the two communities late on Wednesday night, July 1, 2026, firing gunshots as they moved from house to house, abducting residents.

A resident of Takatsaba, who asked not to be named because some of his relatives were among those kidnapped, said the attackers invaded the village around 11:30 p.m. and operated for about an hour.

During the attack, the bandits killed the 10-year-old son of Abdullahi Ado and kidnapped 32 people from seven different households.

The victims included nine members of Mamman Dogo's family, five from Abdullahi Ado's household, including the family of the slain boy, the wife of the village's Chief Imam, two members of the Mai Unguwa's family, two orphaned children from the late Mallam Sani's household, eight members of Mallam Abubakar's family, including his wives and young children, and five people from Amadu Siro's home.

The resident said several people fled into nearby bushes during the attack, making it difficult to determine whether everyone had returned safely.

"People ran in different directions to save their lives. Even now, we still can't account for everyone because of the confusion," he said.

He also claimed that no security reinforcement arrived while the attack was ongoing.

"Our security personnel are trying their best, but this time the bandits outsmarted them. The security team was stationed on the western side of the village, while the attackers entered from the south-east, carried out the attack, and escaped before help could arrive," he explained.

He noted that the same village had been attacked just eight days earlier, but security operatives successfully repelled the assailants on that occasion.

The resident identified five abducted children from Abdullahi Ado's family as Abubakar, Basira, Amira, Aisha and Naja'atu, all between the ages of six and 16.

Expressing frustration over the repeated attacks, he said the community's greatest need is security.

"We are not asking for electricity, water or any other government project. All we want is security so we can return to our farms and grow food. That is our only request," he said.

He added that many residents are afraid to speak publicly about the attacks because they fear being identified and targeted.

In neighbouring Tarah village, another resident, who also requested anonymity, said the attackers arrived at about 11:30 p.m. and remained in the community for nearly 50 minutes.

According to him, three residents were shot and injured during the attack and are currently receiving treatment in hospital.

He said the bandits initially abducted 20 people but later released nine after reaching a river crossing where they could no longer move with all the captives. The remaining 11 victims are reportedly still in captivity, most of them married women.

The resident also alleged that security reinforcements failed to arrive during the attack, claiming the bandits have adopted a new tactic of planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to delay or prevent security responses.

He further accused authorities of neglecting the affected communities despite repeated attacks.

According to him, shortly before Ramadan, security agencies confiscated four locally acquired firearms that villagers had purchased to defend themselves.

"We are only asking Nigerians to remember us in their prayers," he appealed.

Another Tarah resident also confirmed that 11 people were abducted during the raid. He said villagers had organised night watches across different parts of the community, but the attackers still managed to infiltrate the village.

"Every night, people keep vigil in different parts of the village. Despite that, the bandits still found a way in," he said.

He identified the abducted residents as Marsiya Ya'u Gurmu, Aisha Ya'u Gurmu, Hadiza Illiti, Hajara Haruna Na'ita, Talata Atamo, Firdausi Lawali, Hafsat Na'inna, Maryam Gandi, Daudiya Haruna, Aisha Isaka and Samira Hussaini.

The latest attacks come just days after residents of Sabon Birni raised fresh concerns over renewed bandit violence and the increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by criminal groups operating in the eastern part of Sokoto State.