At least two people have been killed and several residents displaced following a bandit attack on Bargaja town in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State in the early hours of Sunday.
Local sources said the attackers stormed the community around 1:30 a.m., forcing villagers to flee to Sokoto metropolis and nearby towns. A security analyst, Bashiru Altine Giyawa, confirmed that local vigilantes engaged the bandits in a gunfight while attempting to repel the invasion.
Two vigilantes, Umaru Biri and Garba Mumminu, were killed from gunshot wounds sustained during the confrontation. Witnesses said several bandits were also killed, but their bodies were reportedly taken away by fellow fighters into forest hideouts.
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Eyewitnesses described the situation as tense, noting that persistent attacks linked to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji have led to repeated killings and mass displacement in the area. Displaced residents, mostly women and children, were seen leaving the town with their belongings amid fears over worsening insecurity.
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in Kebbi State, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the command was investigating the incident after a video circulated on social media. He assured that security agencies were working to protect citizens and restore calm in the affected areas.