Fresh Horror in Sokoto: Turji’s Gang Abducts 37, Kills Child

Fresh fear has gripped residents of Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State following fresh attacks reportedly carried out by notorious bandit leader Bello Turji and his fighters.

The coordinated assaults allegedly targeted two communities, resulting in the abduction of dozens of residents and the death of a 10-year-old child.
The attacks were disclosed on Thursday morning by security analyst and conflict reporter Bakatsine through a post on his verified X account.
According to Bakatsine, the first attack occurred in Tarah community, where the gunmen engaged local vigilantes in a fierce gun battle that reportedly lasted for about an hour.
Despite efforts by the vigilantes to repel the attackers, the armed men allegedly overpowered the community and abducted an unspecified number of residents, including women and children.
He, however, revealed that at least 10 of the abducted victims managed to escape from captivity in the early hours of Thursday.
The attackers were then said to have moved to Takatsaba community, also located in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, where they launched another assault.
During the raid, 37 residents were reportedly kidnapped, while a 10-year-old child was killed. Several other residents also sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The situation was further worsened by reports that the road leading to the General Hospital in Sabon Birni had been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), delaying efforts to evacuate the injured victims for medical treatment.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the security agencies nor the Sokoto State Government had issued an official statement on the attacks or confirmed the reported number of casualties and abducted victims.