At least nine farmers were killed and several others abducted on Friday when suspected bandits launched a deadly attack on farmland near Jangeme village in the Talata Mafara district of Sokoto State.
The assailants, reportedly armed and riding motorcycles, invaded the farming settlement while the victims were working in the fields, opening fire indiscriminately and abducting approximately 15 farmers, according to local sources.
Confirming the incident, the district head and political administrator, Yahaya Yari Abubakar, said the bandits struck in the early hours of the day. “They killed nine farmers and took away around 15 others. As of now, there has been no contact from the abductors,” he told journalists after attending the burial of the victims.
Residents said the attack targeted both local farmers and members of the community vigilante group. “Among those killed were the head of our vigilante team and five of his members,” said Abu Zaki, a resident of Jangeme. “They were in the fields trying to protect people from exactly this kind of attack.”
Another local, Bello Ahmadu, described the growing fear in the community. “People are terrified. Nobody wants to return to the farms because of the fear of another attack. Our livelihoods are at risk.”
The incident is the latest in a series of violent raids carried out by armed gangs operating across northwest Nigeria. These criminal groups, often referred to as “bandits,” have been responsible for widespread killings, kidnappings, and cattle rustling in states like Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina.
Security experts say the rising wave of rural violence poses a significant threat to food production and economic stability in the region, urging the federal government to take more decisive action.
At the time of filing this report, security forces had yet to comment on the attack, and efforts to rescue the abducted victims were still underway.
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