Gunmen Kill 10-Year-Old, Abduct Over 40 in Sokoto’s Sabon Birni Villages

Bandits armed with sophisticated weapons stormed Takatsaba and Tarah villages in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto late on July 1. They fired sporadically, moved from house to house and killed a 10-year-old boy before abducting 43 residents. In Takatsaba, attackers killed the son of a local family and seized 32 people across seven households, including women and children aged 6–16. Many villagers fled into the bushes during the one-hour raid, and security operatives arrived too late to intervene. In Tarah, the gunmen held the community for almost an hour, injuring three residents and initially abducting 20 people. They later released nine captives at a river crossing, leaving 11 married women in captivity. Villagers blamed the lack of reinforcements and the use of new tactics, by planting IEDs to delay response. Residents lamented the absence of protection despite repeated attacks. They insisted their plea is simple: security so they can return to their farms and rebuild their lives.

Use The App To Win ₦1m

Stories are shared by community members. This article does not represent the official view of NaijaWorld — the author is solely responsible for its content.