At least 15 people have been killed in a fresh bandit attack on Kwallaijiya village in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The assault, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, also left several residents injured.
Local sources reported that the attackers stormed the village at dawn, firing indiscriminately and causing widespread panic and destruction. The armed assailants are believed to be members of a notorious bandit group known locally as Charambe, which has long operated in the area.
Community members have raised concerns over recurring violence in Tangaza and neighbouring areas, alleging that certain individuals may be colluding with armed groups to perpetuate the insecurity.
The Executive Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Council, Isa Bashir Kalanjeni, visited the scene of the attack and joined the community in the mass burial of the victims, calling for intensified security efforts to protect vulnerable populations.
As of the time of filing this report, the Sokoto State Police Command has yet to officially confirm the incident. Repeated attempts to reach the Command’s spokesperson were unsuccessful.
Sokoto State, located in Nigeria’s troubled North-West region, has faced escalating violence in recent months, with various terrorist factions—including the Lakurawa group—carrying out a string of deadly attacks.
Just weeks earlier, an explosion rocked Dorawa community, also in Tangaza, killing eight people during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. That incident, caused by a locally made improvised explosive device (IED), occurred near Lakurawa camp—a known haven for bandits.
The military has vowed to intensify its offensive against criminal groups such as Lakurawa, Boko Haram, and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), all of whom continue to terrorize rural communities across the region.
Residents of Tangaza are now calling for urgent government intervention to curb the persistent attacks and restore peace to their beleaguered communities.
