21 Feared Dead, 37 Abducted As Terrorists Attack Sokoto Community

At least 21 people are feared dead and 37 others abducted following a deadly attack by suspected terrorists on Tsamaye community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in what residents describe as one of the latest assaults to hit the troubled area.

The attack reportedly began on Monday night and lasted into the early hours of Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents to flee the community. During the raid, the attackers reportedly set two houses ablaze, rustled livestock, and left the village largely deserted.

Among those confirmed killed were Kabiru Tanimu, Ayuba Hashim, and Yakubu Mu’azu, while several other residents remain unaccounted for. Authorities and residents are still working to determine the exact number of casualties.

The incident comes less than a week after another attack on the same community, during which eight people were killed, including worshippers at a mosque, underscoring the deteriorating security situation in Sabon Birni.

The latest violence also triggered a separate tragedy as residents attempted to escape across a river after receiving reports that the armed men were approaching. According to local accounts, overloaded boats capsized during the evacuation, leaving about 18 people feared drowned, while seven others were rescued. Many of those still missing are believed to be women and children.

Reports indicate that the attackers abducted 37 residents, many of them women and children. Some victims were reportedly seized from the community, while others were taken from nearby farms, where many residents had been spending the night to avoid repeated attacks on the village.

The renewed assault has forced thousands of people to abandon their homes, worsening the humanitarian situation in the area and raising fresh concerns over the safety of communities across the eastern axis of Sokoto State.

Sabon Birni remains one of the state’s most vulnerable local government areas, with repeated attacks by armed groups despite ongoing military operations under Operation Fansan Yamma and other security deployments across the North-West.

As of the time of filing this report, security authorities had not released an official statement confirming the casualty figures or the number of abducted victims. However, security operations and search efforts are ongoing as residents continue to search for missing relatives and assess the extent of the destruction.

The latest attack has renewed calls for stronger security measures and increased protection for vulnerable communities facing persistent attacks by armed groups in the North-West.