RismadarVoice Reporters, August 31, 2026
At least eight farmers have been killed and five others injured in a suspected reprisal attack by armed bandits in Gandi community, Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, was reportedly carried out in retaliation for recent security operations in the area during which several suspected bandits were said to have been killed.
Residents said the attackers stormed the farming community at about 3:00 p.m. and opened fire on farmers, sending residents fleeing for safety.
A local source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no fewer than eight farmers were killed, while five others sustained gunshot injuries.
“The bandits came around 3:00 p.m. and started shooting at people. No fewer than eight farmers were killed, while at least five others sustained gunshot injuries,” the source said.
The source described the incident as an apparent revenge attack, following the reported casualties suffered by the bandits during recent military and security operations in the area.
“We believe this was a retaliatory attack because some members of the group were killed by security personnel in the last few days,” he added.
The latest attack has heightened fears among residents of Gandi and neighbouring communities, where farmers have increasingly become vulnerable to armed groups operating across Rabah and adjoining areas.
It came shortly after intensified security operations targeting bandit groups in Rabah Local Government Area. The operations reportedly inflicted significant casualties on the criminal groups and forced some of their fighters to retreat from hideouts and operational corridors.
Sunday’s attack has, however, raised concerns that weakened bandit groups could retaliate against farming communities they perceive as vulnerable or supportive of government security efforts.
The spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, confirmed that the command was aware of the incident when contacted on Sunday evening but said details were still being gathered.
The fresh killings have renewed calls for security agencies to sustain their offensive against banditry while taking additional measures to protect vulnerable farming communities from reprisal attacks.
For residents of Gandi, the incident has further exposed the dangers facing rural communities and farmers whose livelihoods depend on access to their farmlands.
The continuing attacks also threaten food production and deepen fears among residents already living under the shadow of insecurity.
