At least 12 people have been killed, six of them burnt alive, after suspected bandits attacked Lajinge village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Residents claimed the attackers invaded the community at about 11 p.m. on Saturday and operated until around 3:30 a.m. Sunday without any security intervention.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 11 victims died from gunshot wounds, while a woman identified as Agada died after suffering severe shock during the attack.

Six Killed After Gunmen Set Fire to Refuge Room

According to the resident, six people were burnt alive after gunmen surrounded a room where they had taken shelter.

“They ordered those inside to come out but they refused. The attackers then poured petrol on the room and opened fire. When those inside attempted to escape through the door, they kept shooting at them. Their bodies were left inside the burning room,” he said.

He identified those killed in the fire as household head Mallam Wauro, known as Mallam Roro; his two sons, Ukasha and Mujaheed; two relatives, Sufyanu and Sani Shanbami; and an internally displaced person who had been sheltering in the house.

Another victim, Lawwali, was shot dead at the entrance of the same house while trying to flee, bringing the death toll in that compound alone to seven.

The remaining victims, including a man named Yusuf and three internally displaced persons sheltering in Lajinge, were shot while attempting to escape the village.

A resident who took part in the community’s vigilante watch that night said the group was guarding the village primary school when the attack began.

“We were at the primary school guarding the village when we suddenly heard heavy gunfire. We all ran for safety and kept moving from one hiding place to another whenever the shooting came closer,” he said.

He said that after overpowering the local vigilantes, the attackers moved through the village, going house to house while rustling cattle and sheep.

“They stationed one of their rifles in a strategic location that kept firing while the others entered houses to steal livestock,” he said, adding that the gunmen later attacked Mallam Wauro’s residence, killing him and two of his sons, abducting his two wives and taking all his cattle.

Residents said they could not immediately confirm the exact number of people abducted, noting that while many villagers were taken away, some, particularly children, were later released.

No Security Response Despite Hours of Attack

Villagers said the attack lasted about four hours without any security reinforcement arriving.

“The bandits stayed in our village for hours without any intervention. They even walked along the main road laughing and smoking cigarettes as if they had conquered the community,” one resident said.

They alleged that security personnel stationed in the nearby Unguwar Lalle and Dan Tudu communities, both about two kilometres from Lajinge, did not respond to repeated distress calls throughout the attack.

Community leaders said they had repeatedly appealed to the government to deploy security personnel to the area, but their requests had gone unanswered. Residents added that eight people were killed in the same community about three weeks earlier.

“We are Nigerians and we have voter cards. We elected the government to protect our lives and property. We are pleading with the authorities to deploy security personnel to safeguard our communities,” one resident said.

Police Public Relations Officer DSP Ahmad Rufai said, when contacted, that he was not aware of the incident and was in transit, adding that he would verify it upon reaching his office.