Bandits have reportedly intercepted a vehicle conveying passengers returning from Sokoto city, killing everyone inside along a road leading to Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The exact number of people killed in the attack has yet to be confirmed.
The incident was disclosed by Bakatsine, a conflict reporter covering northwestern Nigeria, who shared information about the attack and photographs of some of the deceased.
According to the report, some of the victims were reportedly among the 3,000 people recruited by the Sokoto State Government who had been invited to Sokoto city for further screening and the collection of their documents.
The passengers were said to have been travelling back home when the armed men intercepted their vehicle and opened fire on them.
Although photographs of some of the deceased have circulated following the incident, the total number of victims and their identities have yet to be independently established.
The reported killing also comes amid continuing concerns over attacks on civilians in other parts of northern Nigeria, particularly in communities affected by insurgency and banditry.
Weeks ago, at least 15 farmers and firewood gatherers were killed in an attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims were reportedly ambushed while carrying out their daily activities around Ala and Musune wards on Wednesday evening.
Local sources said 18 people had gone to the farms, but only 15 bodies were recovered from the scene and buried on Thursday. Three others remained missing as of Friday, with community members continuing efforts to establish their whereabouts.
The Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Online, although he said details were still sketchy.
“Yes, there was an attack in Marte. 15 people were killed while others are still missing. Efforts are ongoing to determine their whereabouts,” Daso said.
The police spokesperson added that security authorities were gathering further information about the incident and would provide updates as more details became available.
Local sources said the victims were mainly peasant farmers and firewood gatherers who had gone into the surrounding bush to earn a living and provide for their families. They reportedly included young men, married men and elderly residents.
One source, who requested anonymity, said the victims were attacked while working on their farms.
“They were ambushed by terrorists while carrying out their daily work, bound, forced to lie down, and executed at close range,” the source said.
The source alleged that some of the victims were decapitated, adding that the condition of some of the bodies made identification difficult.
“Many people were killed. Some were not even recognisable. So far, we have buried 15 out of the 18; we are currently searching for three persons,” the source said.
Another local source said community members later went to the affected area to retrieve the bodies and take them home for burial.
“It was after the incident that community members picked their bodies from the farm where they were massacred. The bodies found have been buried according to Islamic rites,” the source said.
The killings prompted condemnation from Amnesty International, which described the attack as horrific and called on Nigerian authorities to take urgent steps to protect vulnerable communities.
In a statement, the human rights organisation said the killing of civilians represented a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the horrific killing of at least 15 people on Thursday, 1 October 2026, in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, Northeast Nigeria,” the organisation said.
The group said the victims were local residents who had gone into the surrounding bush to gather firewood for their livelihoods and household needs when they were attacked.
“The victims, who were local residents venturing into the surrounding bush to gather firewood to earn a living or cook for their families, were ambushed and targeted by a suspected Boko Haram group,” the statement read.
Amnesty International urged the Nigerian government to strengthen security measures and ensure the protection of civilians living in areas exposed to attacks by armed groups.
“Amnesty International calls on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate, transparent, and human-rights-compliant measures to protect vulnerable communities living in the region,” the organisation said.
