Terror Reigns Again in Sokoto: Turji’s Gunmen Slaughter Villagers, Abduct Young Women in Midnight Onslaught

Bargaja, Sokoto State —
Panic and grief gripped the quiet community of Bargaja in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State after gunmen loyal to the notorious warlord Bello Turji unleashed another night of horror — killing several residents and abducting at least 10 young women in a brutal raid late Friday.

According to security journalist Bakastine, who confirmed the assault, the attackers stormed the village around midnight, riding on motorcycles and firing indiscriminately into homes before setting parts of the settlement ablaze. The assault sent terrified villagers fleeing into surrounding bushes, leaving the once-peaceful community drenched in fear and mourning.

> “Last night, bandits loyal to Bello Turji attacked Bargaja village, killing several people. One person was severely injured, and no fewer than 10 residents — mostly young women — were abducted,” Bakastine told reporters.

He described the attack as “another grim reminder of the relentless wave of violence” plaguing Nigeria’s northwest, where communities like Bargaja remain “perilously exposed, with little protection or warning before tragedy strikes.”

Residents are now pleading for swift security intervention and rescue operations for the abducted victims, many of whom were taken deep into the nearby forest by the marauders.

The attack bears the unmistakable signature of Bello Turji’s faction, one of the most feared terror networks operating across Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina States. Despite sustained military operations in the region, Turji’s loyalists continue to unleash devastating raids on remote settlements, leaving a trail of death, displacement, and despair.

Locals say the renewed wave of attacks signals a resurgence of activity from the Turji camp, which has long resisted government offensives and thrived on Nigeria’s fragile security response.

Gumi Stirs Controversy Again — ‘Bandits Are on Revenge Missions’

Meanwhile, controversial Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has once again sparked national outrage after defending the actions of the same bandit groups tormenting the North.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV monitored by SaharaReporters on Friday, Gumi claimed that the armed groups are not inherently violent but are “on revenge missions” following years of hostility and marginalization.

> “The former Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, once met more than 5,000 of them in the bush,” Gumi said. “They complained of losing their parents and brothers to conflicts. They are reacting to hostility — not attacking without reason.”

While conceding that the killings were “wrong and obnoxious,” Gumi maintained that the bandits’ violence was driven by grievances rather than cruelty.

> “Yes, they kill, and it’s wrong to kill anyone innocent,” he admitted. “But if you understand their psychology, they believe they’re avenging injustices.”

Gumi has repeatedly advocated amnesty and dialogue for the armed groups — a stance many Nigerians and security experts view as dangerously sympathetic to terrorism.

A Cry for Help Amid Government Silence

Friday night’s massacre adds to a growing list of atrocities in northwestern Nigeria, where thousands have been killed or kidnapped in recent years. For villagers in Sokoto’s Isa axis, hope is wearing thin.

> “We are tired of burying our own,” a distraught resident said. “Every night, we sleep in fear. We just want the government to protect us — or at least, to try.”

As dusk falls again over Bargaja, the smell of smoke and sorrow still hangs in the air — a haunting reminder that, for many in Nigeria’s northwest, peace remains a distant dream.