Sokoto massacre claim false, Army, Police declare

The Nigerian Army and the Sokoto State Police Command have dismissed social media reports alleging that more than 100 civilians and 11 security personnel were killed in a mass attack on a community in Sokoto State.

The claim was circulated by a Facebook page, Hausaland Magazine, on October 5, 2026. The post alleged that armed men attacked a settlement identified as “Garin Gobir Gindin”, killing over 100 civilians, 10 soldiers and a Mobile Police officer, while abducting several other people.

Describing the alleged incident as a “genocide” and a “war on Hausa”, the publication blamed “Fulani terrorists” and claimed that the number of victims was increasing.

It also featured an image of several lifeless individuals, some wearing military-style clothing, which attracted comments from users who appeared to accept the allegations. Some commenters also made inflammatory remarks against ethnic groups.

However, security authorities have refuted the report, stating that no such attack with the alleged casualties occurred in Sokoto State. They also noted that there was no record of a community known as “Garin Gobir Gindin”.

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

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