Nigeria: Suspected Lakurawa Bandits Kill 12, Burn 6 Alive in Sokoto Attack

What the report says

Leadership, republished by AllAfrica, reported that suspected Lakurawa bandits killed at least 12 people in Lajinge village, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in an overnight attack that residents said began around 11 p.m. on Saturday and continued until about 3:30 a.m. on Sunday. The account was based on local residents and community members who said the gunmen moved through the village without a security response during the assault.

According to the report, six members of one family were burned alive after taking shelter in a room that attackers allegedly surrounded. Residents also said one woman died from shock, and other victims were shot while trying to flee. The dead included the household head, his sons, relatives and at least one displaced person staying with the family. Another man was said to have been killed at the compound entrance while escaping.

Witnesses described the attackers as looting livestock, moving from house to house and abducting some residents, including two wives from the targeted household, though the total number of abductees was unclear. Some children were later released, according to locals. The report said police and state officials had not confirmed the incident at the time of publication. The attack underscores the continuing insecurity facing rural communities in northwestern Nigeria, where armed groups have carried out repeated raids, killings and cattle rustling in recent years.