At least seven people were killed and several others abducted when heavily armed bandits stormed Tsamaye village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto state on Tuesday night, July 28, according to residents. The attackers spent over six hours terrorizing the community before withdrawing early Wednesday morning.
Attack Details and Casualties
The bandits arrived in large numbers around 8:30 pm and did not leave until approximately 3:00 am on Wednesday, July 29. During that period, they moved through the village shooting, looting shops, rustling livestock, and seizing residents. Seven bodies were recovered on Wednesday morning. An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity said three of those killed were found inside a mosque. According to the source, all seven victims were displaced persons who had previously fled other communities due to earlier bandit attacks, except two who were indigenes of Tsamaye itself.
Eyewitness Account
The eyewitness described how the attackers began by surrounding security operatives stationed in the village and pinning them down with gunfire to prevent them from responding to distress calls. "We were sitting after the Isha'i prayer when the bandits invaded our village. They first surrounded the security operatives stationed in the community and opened fire on them. They laid siege to their location, preventing them from coming out, while other members of the group moved from house to house, rustling livestock, looting valuables and abducting residents," he said.
Abductions and Aftermath
Beyond the killings, the bandits broke into several shops, burned two of them, set a vehicle on fire, and rustled an unspecified number of livestock before leaving. The exact number of people abducted remained unclear as many residents had fled into surrounding bushes. However, at least three abductions were confirmed after relatives dialed the victims' phone numbers and the bandits themselves answered, confirming they were holding the individuals. "We believe some people escaped because of the confusion. It is only later today that we may be able to ascertain the actual number of those abducted," the eyewitness said. He noted that the security personnel stationed in the village had previously helped protect both Tsamaye and neighbouring communities but were caught off guard by the scale and coordination of Tuesday's attack.
Police Response
The spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, Ahmad Rufai, confirmed the force was aware of the incident but had not yet received a full situation report. "We are aware of the incident, but we are yet to get full details as we await it," he said. Sabon Birni LGA has experienced repeated bandit activity in recent months, with thousands of residents from surrounding villages forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge in larger communities like Tsamaye.
