At least two people have been killed, and many residents forced to flee Bargaja town in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, following a fresh attack by bandits in the early hours of Sunday.
Local sources said the assailants stormed the community at about 1:30 a.m., triggering panic as villagers fled to safer locations, including Sokoto metropolis and nearby communities.
A security analyst, Bashiru Altine Giyawa, who confirmed the incident, said Bargaja had been one of the few communities in the area that consistently resisted attacks by fighters loyal to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji.
According to him, local vigilantes engaged the attackers in a gun duel while attempting to repel the invasion.
“The vigilante group confronted the bandits in a fierce exchange of gunfire. Unfortunately, two vigilantes lost their lives during the confrontation,” Altine said.
The victims were identified as Umaru Biri and Garba Mumminu, who reportedly died from gunshot wounds sustained during the attack.
Residents said several bandits were also killed in the clash, but their bodies were allegedly taken away by fellow fighters into nearby forest hideouts.
Eyewitnesses described the situation in Bargaja, located in eastern Sokoto, as tense, noting that persistent attacks linked to Turji’s network have led to repeated killings and displacement in the area.
Our correspondent observed groups of displaced residents—mostly women and children—boarding vehicles and leaving the town with their belongings amid fears that the worsening insecurity was not being adequately addressed by authorities.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in Kebbi State, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the command had seen a video circulating on social media about the incident.
He noted that the police were “investigating the situation to ascertain the accurate details of what transpired.”
Rufai assured that security agencies were working to ensure the safety of citizens and restore calm in the affected areas.
