Fear and grief have gripped the community of Ƙyara in Birnin Gobir Local Government Area after suspected terrorists launched a coordinated nighttime assault that left at least seven residents dead and several others wounded in the early hours of Wednesday night.
According to SaharaReporters, the attackers, believed to be a heavily armed group numbering over 100, surrounded the town “from all sides, blocking major entry and exit routes before launching the violent assault on residents.”
Residents described a terrifying scene where gunmen “moved freely within the town for several hours,” firing indiscriminately and targeting civilians as they slept or tried to flee. By Thursday, families and community members had conducted Islamic burial rites for the deceased, even as injured victims were still being treated in various hospitals, with some reported to be in critical condition.
Community sources also said the attack followed another violent incident in the region, where about 38 people, excluding children, were abducted from Lajinge district within the same Birnin Gobir axis by the same group of bandits.
Local residents voiced deep frustration over what they described as an absence of Nigerian security forces during and after the assault, alleging that distress calls made throughout the attack went unanswered. According to witnesses, help finally came not from Nigerian troops, but from security operatives of neighbouring Niger Republic, who arrived after the attackers had withdrawn and pursued them across the border.
The cross-border response underscores concerns among residents about the growing transnational dimension of insecurity in northwest Nigeria and highlighted frustrations over perceived delays or gaps in domestic security support.
The Ƙyara attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents affecting rural communities across Sokoto State in recent months. In neighbouring areas, suspected terrorists and armed bandits loyal to infamous kingpins such as Bello Turji have been implicated in attacks involving abductions, killings, and forced displacement.
For instance, recent reports indicate that terrorists associated with Turji stormed Gajit community in Lajinge District, also within Sabon Birni LGA, abducting more than 20 residents in another nighttime raid, according to a security alert platform.
Across the wider Birnin Gobir and Isa Local Government Areas, rural settlements have faced repeated threats and ambushes, with some observers warning that the insurgency is intensifying and spreading despite ongoing efforts by security forces to contain it.
As of the time of reporting, Sokoto State authorities and Nigeria’s security agencies had not issued an official statement on the Ƙyara attack or the reported fatalities and abductions. Residents and civil society actors continue to press for urgent action to protect vulnerable communities and bring perpetrators to justice.
