Army, Police dismiss report of 111 deaths in alleged Sokoto attack

The Nigerian Army and the Sokoto State Police Command have debunked a viral social media post claiming that more than 100 civilians, 10 soldiers and a Mobile Police officer were killed in an alleged attack on a community in Sokoto State.

The claim, published by a Facebook page (Hausaland Magazine) on October 5, 2026, alleged that armed men attacked a community identified as “Garin Gobir Gindin,” killing more than 100 civilians and security personnel, while kidnapping several others.

The post, which described the alleged incident as a “genocide” and a “war on Hausa,” attributed the attack to “Fulani terrorists” and claimed that the death toll was rising.

The viral post included an image showing several motionless individuals, some dressed in military-style clothing and others in civilian attire.

It also attracted comments from social media users who appeared to accept and amplify the allegations, with some making inflammatory statements targeting ethnic groups.

However, security authorities have denied that any such attack occurred in the state as there was no record of a community known as “Garin Gobir Gindin.”
Investigation identified a date discrepancy in the post while the publication claimed the attack occurred on Tuesday, October 5, 2026, that date fell on a Monday.

Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, dismissed the allegation, saying, “There was no such attack involving the reported mass casualties in the state.

The Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ahmed Rufa’i, debunked the claim, saying, “This incident did not occur within Sokoto.”

Verified security reports across the North-West also found no mass-casualty incident matching the description circulated by Hausaland Magazine.

Investigations, however, identified a separate attack on Sunday, October 4, 2026, in Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where bandits reportedly killed two people and injured another. The incident was confirmed by the Sokoto State Police Command