Date: August 2, 2026
By Kimberly Wilson
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Armed Fulani gunmen killed at least 12 people and abducted an unspecified number of women and children during a deadly overnight raid on Lajinge village in Sokoto State, northwestern Nigeria, residents told Reuters. The attack is the latest in a series of violent assaults that continue to plague communities across the region.
(According to witnesses, the attackers stormed the village at around 11:00 p.m. on Saturday and continued their assault until about 3:00 a.m. on Sunday. During the raid, the gunmen opened fire on residents, set homes ablaze, and kidnapped several women and children before fleeing into nearby forested areas.
One resident told Reuters that six members of the same family were burned to death after the attackers set their house on fire during the assault. Other villagers were shot and killed as they attempted to escape, bringing the death toll to at least 12.
Survivors said the attackers moved from house to house, looting property and terrorizing residents before abducting their victims. The exact number of people kidnapped has not yet been confirmed, but witnesses said several women and children were taken away by the gunmen.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, northwestern Nigeria has experienced persistent violence from heavily armed criminal gangs commonly referred to as bandits, who frequently raid villages, kill residents, and kidnap people for ransom.
The attack highlights Nigeria's worsening security challenges despite ongoing military operations aimed at dismantling armed groups operating across the northwest and north-central regions. Rural communities have increasingly become targets of deadly raids, kidnappings, and arson attacks that have displaced thousands of people.
Security agencies have reportedly been deployed to the area, although authorities had not immediately issued an official statement on the incident at the time Reuters published its report. Local residents have called on the government to strengthen security presence and improve response times to protect vulnerable communities from further attacks.
The latest violence adds to a growing humanitarian crisis in northwestern Nigeria, where repeated attacks by armed gangs have disrupted farming, forced mass displacement, and left many communities living under constant fear of further assaults.