Bandits Kill 11 Vigilantes, Torch Telecom Mast in Sokoto Attack
At least 11 local vigilantes have been killed following a deadly clash with heavily armed bandits in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The violent confrontation began on Friday when members of the community-based security outfit intercepted about 40 bandits attempting to raid Magonho village. The attackers, who arrived on roughly 20 motorcycles and were heavily armed, opened fire after their ambush was foiled.
Initially, two vigilantes were reported dead in the early exchange of gunfire. However, by Saturday, the death toll had risen to 11 after security operatives recovered more bodies from the nearby Lakurawa forest, suspected to be a stronghold of the armed group.
Eyewitnesses said the vigilantes had mobilized swiftly after receiving intelligence about the bandits’ movement. They managed to repel the initial attack and recover some stolen livestock. Troops from the Forward Operating Base in Masallaci later joined in, reclaiming additional animals and pursuing the fleeing bandits.
But the assailants returned shortly afterward, setting fire to the community’s MTN communication mast and firing sporadically before retreating again into the forest.
Security forces, including soldiers and personnel from nearby Binji and Racca, have launched a search-and-rescue mission to recover more bodies and locate missing vigilantes.
Police spokesman DSP Ahmed Rufai confirmed the incident and the burning of the mast but did not provide casualty figures, saying investigations were ongoing.
The attack has once again raised concerns about growing insecurity in Sokoto’s rural communities, where vigilante groups often serve as the first line of defense.
Meanwhile, APC chieftain Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye called on President Bola Tinubu and security agencies to identify and punish those funding criminal activities across the country. He stressed the importance of cutting off supply lines to bandits and implementing robust intelligence measures to tackle the root of insecurity.
