Bandits Tie Women With Hijabs, March Them Into Forest in Sokoto Mass Abduction

Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa

Bandits Tie Women With Hijabs, March Them Into Forest in Sokoto Mass Abduction

SOKOTO – Scores of traders, farmers and travellers have been abducted on a road leading to Sabon Birni Market in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in the latest wave of violence to grip the northwestern state, where at least 15 communities remain deserted following coordinated attacks.

Residents said the attackers blocked a major route linking Sabon Birni and surrounding communities before launching their assault. An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said the gunmen arrived at about 10am on Wednesday on nearly 20 motorcycles and opened fire, causing panic among people heading for the weekly market.

“We were sitting near the bridge when we saw them approaching on motorcycles. They started shooting from different directions and abducted travellers, farmers and some women working on nearby farms,” he said.

The witness said at least 20 people were taken away during the attack, describing the abduction in harrowing detail.

“It happened right before my eyes. Some of the victims were forced onto motorcycles and taken into the forest. When the motorcycles became full, the bandits tied some victims together in pairs and marched them into the bush on foot. Men were tied to men using their clothes, while women were tied together with their hijabs. Gunshots were everywhere,” he said.

The attackers did not enter Sabon Birni town itself but operated around an area known as Mangwaron Bullun, a junction connecting several communities, including Katsira, Zakin Ganga, Maskin Wuya, Garin Dango, Garin Gardi, Garin Bage and Zududu among others.

A son of one of the victims, identified only as Abdurrashid, told reporters that his mother was among those abducted while working on a farm. He said his father was ill and unable to provide for the family, leaving his mother as their main source of livelihood.

“My mother was working on the farm when they took her. Because my father is sick, she is the one taking care of us. I have now taken my younger siblings to stay with our grandparents,” he said.

Another resident said the exact number of victims remained unclear as many families were still trying to account for their relatives. “Some people may only be discovered missing after the closing of the market, when they fail to return home. Since Wednesday is the day of the Sabon Birni market, many of those abducted were traders heading there for business,” he said.

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The Wednesday abduction follows another attack on Sabon Birni town just days earlier. On Monday night, June 8, suspected bandits attacked the community, killing a member of the Sokoto Community Guards and abducting several residents from Kantin Gabas, located on the outskirts of Sabon Birni town near the community’s Eid prayer ground. A resident claimed that about 10 people were abducted during that attack, adding that it was the third attempted invasion of Sabon Birni using the same route.

When contacted, the member representing Sabon Birni Constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Aminu Boza, said he would verify the incident. However, he had not provided further details as of the time of filing this report despite repeated follow-up calls. Efforts to obtain comments from the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were neither answered nor returned.

In a separate operation on Wednesday night, police operatives from the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and the Anti-Kidnapping Unit successfully repelled an armed bandit attack on Bodinga Village in Bodinga Local Government Area. Security operatives engaged the attackers in a prolonged gun battle, neutralising three suspected bandits and recovering one AK-47 rifle, one magazine and 25 rounds of live ammunition. The Command confirmed that no civilian or security personnel casualty was recorded during the operation.

Earlier on June 4, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma and the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army successfully repelled separate attacks by suspected Lakurawa terrorists and bandits in Sokoto State, rescuing two kidnapped farmers from Tidibale village in Isa Local Government Area. Troops also foiled an attack on the Magonho community in Tangaza Local Government Area, though one civilian sustained a gunshot injury during the exchange of fire.

The abductions come less than two weeks after bandits killed at least 17 people, including seven visitors who had travelled for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, when they attacked Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area on May 31. Residents said the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons and riding on about 150 motorcycles, stormed the community on Sunday morning, opening fire on villagers, looting approximately 20 shops and forcing many residents to flee into nearby forests.

The victims included identified residents such as Munde, Nagoma, Abdullahi, Danbala, Munden Chana, Muhammadu Dan Amo, Hassan, Abubakar Danbaba and Yidi Bafillace. Five of the victims were Sallah visitors from Adarawa in Gummi LGA of Zamfara State, while two others were visitors from Gidan Gambo in Shagari Local Government Area, bringing the total number of visitors killed in the attack to seven.

“The bandits remained in the community for several hours after the attack, preventing villagers from recovering and burying the dead until late in the evening. Funeral prayers were eventually conducted after 9:30 p.m. when they left,” one resident said. Many residents have since fled Dangulbi and surrounding communities, seeking refuge in safer areas across Tureta, Shagari, Gummi and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas.

Amnesty International has condemned the killing, calling on Nigerian authorities to urgently investigate the attack, bring those responsible to justice, and strengthen protection for vulnerable communities. “The Nigerian authorities must urgently investigate this attack, ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice in fair proceedings, and take immediate steps to protect communities that remain at risk,” the organisation said in a statement.

The recurring attacks have forced residents to abandon their homes across multiple local government areas. According to a report by Daily Trust on June 5, no fewer than 15 communities have been deserted following coordinated bandit attacks carried out between May 31 and June 3 in Tureta and Sabon Birni local government areas. Residents told reporters that at least 52 people were killed in the attacks, including 46 in Tureta LGA communities and six others in Sabon Birni LGA, while hundreds of residents were displaced and dozens of houses destroyed.

Deserted communities in Tureta LGA include Dan Gulbi, Dansanberu, Jandutsi, Baga, Barayar Giwa, Birisawa, Mallanje and Ketare. In Sabon Birni LGA, displaced residents identified affected communities as Gangara, Dantasakko, Kube, Garin Idi, Rigo, Shadawa and Makwarruwa. A religious leader from Gangara community, who is currently displaced, said: “Our entire community has been displaced. We had no option but to leave because of the constant attacks. Several neighbouring villages have also been abandoned.”

In a separate development, the Sokoto State Police Command foiled a bandit attack on Imasa Matankari village in Tureta Local Government Area on June 2, recovering 25 cattle rustled during the assault. Security operatives from the VCRU, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and personnel of the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operating Base responded to a distress call, engaging the attackers in a gun battle. The fleeing bandits abandoned all the stolen livestock during their retreat. “All 25 rustled cows were recovered in full and have since been returned to their rightful owners,” the command stated, adding that no lives were lost during the operation.

The recurring attacks have raised concerns over the worsening security situation in Sokoto State and its potential impact on farming activities ahead of the rainy season. Residents have appealed to both the federal and state governments to urgently deploy additional security personnel and improve road infrastructure in the area, arguing that poor access roads often delay security responses and leave communities vulnerable to repeated attacks. The Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, has called on residents to support security agencies with credible information, urging members of the public to promptly report suspicious movements and individuals receiving treatment for gunshot injuries.