Bandits Strike Again: Fear and Bloodshed at Sokoto’s Border Currency Market.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
Democracy Newsline
January 12, 2026.
A once-busy trading hub along the Nigeria–Niger border was thrown into chaos on Sunday as suspected bandits stormed the Durusar Gawo currency market in Kurdula District of Gudu Local Government Area, Sokoto State, killing two prominent Bureau de Change (BDC) dealers and carting away cash in multiple currencies.
The victims, identified by residents as Alhaji Ummaru and Alhaji Sani, were well-known figures in the cross-border financial trade that sustains thousands of livelihoods in the area. One of them was said to operate partly from the Niger Republic side of the border, underscoring the market’s strategic importance as a financial bridge between the two countries.
According to the Sokoto State Police Command, the attack occurred around midday when the market was at its busiest. Armed men, believed to be members of the notorious Lakurawa bandit group, reportedly rode into the market and opened fire indiscriminately, sending traders and customers scrambling for safety.
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Police spokesperson DSP Ahmad Rufa’i confirmed that one of the dealers died instantly at the scene, while the second victim succumbed to his injuries later at Dogon Dutse Hospital.
“The attackers opened fire on traders around midday. One person died on the spot, while another later died in the hospital,” DSP Rufa’i said.
Beyond the tragic loss of lives, residents said the attackers looted large sums of money, including naira and foreign currencies, before fleeing into surrounding bush paths that crisscross the porous Nigeria–Niger border.
The Durusar Gawo market is more than a local trading point. It serves as a major exchange centre for livestock dealers, farmers, merchants, and currency traders from both Nigeria and Niger Republic. Its location, while economically strategic, has increasingly made it vulnerable to cross-border criminal gangs exploiting weak security presence.
Residents say the attack is part of a disturbing pattern. In recent months, banditry and armed robberies have escalated across Gudu and neighbouring Tangaza Local Government Areas, forcing the closure of schools, disrupting weekly markets, and pushing many families to consider relocation.
A resident of Kurdula lamented the absence of security infrastructure in the district.
“Kurdula is the district headquarters, yet there is no permanent security presence here. The nearest security post is about 45 kilometres away. By the time help comes, the attackers are long gone,” he said.
Another community member revealed that some border communities in Bachaka District now depend more on security support from Arewa Dandi Local Government Area in Kebbi State due to proximity, rather than from within Sokoto State itself.
Calls for Urgent Action
The killings have reignited calls for decisive intervention by the Sokoto State Government, federal security agencies, and border security authorities. Community leaders are urging the establishment of permanent security bases, improved intelligence gathering, and stronger cross-border collaboration with Nigerien authorities.
In response, the police command assured residents that investigations have commenced and that security deployments have been intensified across vulnerable border communities.
“Operations against bandit groups in this axis are ongoing,” DSP Rufa’i said, appealing to residents to provide useful information to security agencies.
For now, fear hangs heavy over Durusar Gawo market. Traders mourn fallen colleagues, families bury their dead, and communities are left grappling with the painful question of how long life and commerce can continue under the shadow of violence.
Suspected bandits on Sunday attacked the Durusar Gawo currency market in Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing two Bureau de Change dealers identified as Alhaji Ummaru and Alhaji Sani. Police said the gunmen struck around midday, killing one victim instantly while the second died later in hospital. Residents alleged the attackers looted large sums of local and foreign currencies before fleeing.
Nigeria–Niger trade hub. Communities have blamed worsening insecurity and the absence of nearby security posts, urging government to urgently strengthen border security.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JANUARY 12TH 2026)
