Sokoto : Bandits strike near security checkpoints, kill one in late-night raid

 

Residents of Tangaza Town in Sokoto State were gripped by fear late Friday night after armed bandits launched a brazen attack just metres away from multiple security checkpoints in the area.

The incident, which occurred at about 11:00 p.m., reportedly took place near posts operated by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as a police bomb squad unit stationed close to Tangaza General Hospital.

According to a report by security analyst Bakatsine on Saturday, the attackers shot and killed Yahaya Alhassan, popularly known as Gurmu. His associate, Bello BMT, sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Tangaza General Hospital.

The daring nature of the assault, carried out within close proximity to security formations, has further heightened concerns about the persistent insecurity plaguing communities in the eastern flank of Sokoto State.

Residents described scenes of chaos as gunshots rang out, forcing families to remain indoors through the night. The development has renewed questions about the effectiveness of security deployments in the border town.

Tangaza Local Government Area shares a boundary with the Republic of Niger and has, in recent years, witnessed repeated incursions by armed groups operating across porous borders. Sokoto State, alongside neighbouring Zamfara and Kebbi states, remains one of the epicentres of banditry in Nigeria’s North-West, despite sustained military and police operations aimed at curbing the menace.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the security agencies nor the Sokoto State Government had issued an official statement regarding the attack.