Gunmen Kill 12 and Abduct Women and Children in Night Raid on Sokoto Village, Nigeria

In a brutal overnight assault, armed gunmen attacked the village of Lajinge in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto State, leaving at least 12 people dead and several others missing. The attackers, identified by local reports as members of notorious armed gangs known as "bandits," descended on the community late Saturday night, operating with impunity until the early hours of Sunday morning. Beyond the fatalities, the assailants abducted an unspecified number of women and children, marking another tragic episode in the wave of kidnappings for ransom that has plagued the region.

Witnesses and survivors described a scene of terror as the gunmen set fire to residential properties, leading to the agonizing deaths of six members of a single family trapped within their home. The raid, which lasted from approximately 11:00 p.m. on Saturday to 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, was not limited to human casualties; the attackers also rustled livestock and looted property before fleeing. Local residents reported that the level of violence has left the community in shock, with many fearing for the safety of those taken into the surrounding forests.

This latest atrocity highlights the deteriorating security situation in northwest Nigeria, where heavily armed gangs frequently target rural communities to extort money or seize resources. The Lajinge attack follows closely on the heels of a similar massacre in neighboring Zamfara State, where bandits killed at least 24 farmers just a week prior. While the Sokoto State police have confirmed they are investigating the incident and pursuing the perpetrators, the recurring nature of these raids continues to raise urgent questions regarding the effectiveness of regional security measures and the protection of vulnerable civilians.