Seven Residents Killed As Terrorists Overrun Sokoto Community In Midnight Attack
January 15, 2026
No fewer than seven people have been killed following a deadly attack by suspected terrorists on Ƙyara town in Birnin Gobir Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
SaharaReporters gathered that the attack occurred late on Wednesday night when more than 100 armed assailants stormed the town in a coordinated operation. The attackers reportedly surrounded Ƙyara from multiple directions, blocking major entry and exit routes before launching a violent assault on residents.
Local sources said the gunmen operated freely within the community for several hours, leaving at least seven people dead and several others injured.
The victims were buried on Thursday in line with Islamic rites, as families and community members mourned amid heightened fear and tension. Meanwhile, injured residents are receiving treatment in various hospitals, with some said to be in critical condition.
Residents disclosed that the attack came barely a day after the same group of bandits allegedly abducted about 38 people—excluding children—from the Lajinge district, also within the Birnin Gobir axis. The abducted victims were reportedly taken to unknown locations.
Community members expressed anger and frustration over what they described as the absence of Nigerian security forces during and after the attack. According to residents, distress calls made during the assault did not receive any immediate response from security agencies in the state.
Instead, sources said security operatives from neighbouring Niger Republic arrived later, after the attackers had already withdrawn. The Nigerien forces were said to have pursued the assailants from across the border, highlighting the growing cross-border dimension of insecurity in the region.
Birnin Gobir and other parts of eastern Sokoto have experienced repeated attacks by armed groups in recent months, with residents lamenting the rising cases of killings, abductions and destruction of property.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Sokoto State Government nor security agencies had issued an official statement on the incident.