RT-Engels: 03-08-2026,
Six members of one family were killed after attackers set fire to their home in Sokoto State, witnesses have told news agencies
At least 12 people have been killed and an unspecified number of women and children abducted in an attack by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria, Reuters has reported, citing local residents.
Armed men, as yet unidentified by the authorities, entered the village of Lajinge in Sokoto State at around 11 PM local time on Saturday and attacked residents until approximately 3 AM on Sunday.
Six members of one family were killed when their home was set on fire, according to witnesses. “They killed at least 12 people, injured four others, abducted women and children after rustling many livestock,” resident Auwal Hassan told Reuters by telephone.
Sokoto police spokesperson Ahmed Rufai also told the outlet that an investigation had been launched and that the force would provide further information later. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The northwest region of Africa’s most populous nation has faced persistent attacks by heavily armed gangs commonly known as bandits. The groups raid rural communities, kidnap residents for ransom, steal livestock, and demand payments from farmers seeking access to their land.
Nigeria has also experienced an upsurge in mass abductions amid a worsening security crisis, despite President Bola Tinubu declaring a nationwide security emergency in November and ordering the recruitment of thousands of additional police officers and military personnel.