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21 Feared Dead, 37 Abducted in Terrorist Attack on Nigerian Community
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

21 Feared Dead, 37 Abducted in Terrorist Attack on Nigerian Community

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Terrorists attacked Tsamaye community in Sokoto State, Nigeria, killing at least 21 people and abducting 37 others.
  • This was the second attack on the community in a week, following a previous incident that killed eight residents.
  • During the attack, overloaded boats capsized while villagers fled, leading to an estimated 18 drownings, mostly women and children.

Sokoto State, Nigeria – At least 21 people are feared dead and 37 abducted following a brutal terrorist attack on Tsamaye community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area. Thousands of residents fled their homes after the pre-dawn assault, which lasted for hours and saw two homes burned and livestock stolen.

When we called our relatives, the bandits answered the phones and told us they were the ones who abducted them. They said they had taken 37 people.

— ResidentDescribing how families learned of the abductions.

This latest violence marks the second attack on Tsamaye in just one week. Last Wednesday, eight residents, including three worshippers, were killed in a similar raid, underscoring the escalating insecurity in the region. Sabon Birni remains a focal point of deadly attacks, mass abductions, and widespread displacement by armed groups, despite ongoing security operations.

Adding to the tragedy, an estimated 18 people, primarily women and children, are feared drowned after overloaded boats capsized as villagers attempted to escape the approaching terrorists. Seven individuals were rescued alive, but families continue to search for their missing relatives in the river.

Because of the frequent attacks, many people no longer sleep in the village. They spend the night in farms and bushes to avoid being attacked. This time, the terrorists searched through the farms, woke people up and took them away.

— ResidentExplaining the villagers' attempts to evade attacks and how the terrorists found them.

Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers confirmed abducting 37 people, with victims' phones being answered by the bandits. Many were seized from their homes, while others were captured in nearby farms where they had sought refuge due to the frequent attacks. Residents expressed deep frustration, stating that security forces were informed of the invasion but no reinforcements arrived until the attackers had departed.

We excused them during the previous attack because the terrorists had surrounded them and were firing at them. But this time, they were informed early enough, yet nobody came to rescue us.

— ResidentExpressing frustration over the lack of security force response during the attack.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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