Sokoto residents protest bandits’ grip on several LGAs

By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto

The wave of banditry in Sokoto State has reached an alarming level, with criminal gangs allegedly tightening their deadly grip on 16 out of the state’s 23 local government areas, leaving residents devastated, displaced, and increasingly hopeless.

On Monday evening, hundreds of men, women, and children from Shagari Local Government Area staged a mass protest, blocking the Sokoto–Lagos trunk A highway. They expressed anger over relentless attacks that have crippled their communities and demanded urgent government action to stem the tide of killings and abductions.

The displaced residents, some barefoot and visibly traumatised, poured into Shagari town, the LGA headquarters, chanting slogans of frustration as they narrated their ordeal.

According to them, the government has abandoned them to the mercy of bloodthirsty gangs who roam their villages unhindered.

A resident of Rinaye village, Malam Kasimu, explained that the incessant neglect pushed them to the streets in protest.

“For three consecutive days, bandits have been invading our villages. They kidnapped our community leader and our Imam after killing three people over the weekend,” he lamented.

He further disclosed that the armed groups attacked Aske Dodo, Tungar Barke, and Jandutse villages, killing at least two people and abducting no fewer than 15 others.

“Several of our villages have now been deserted. People are fleeing in all directions, leaving behind their homes and farmlands,” he added.

Among the displaced is Rabi Shehu, a mother of 5 from Jandutse village, who recounted her harrowing experience.

“Since the attack, I have not been able to locate my children. We all ran in different directions to escape the gunmen. Now I have nothing to eat, no shelter, and no idea where my children are. We just want peace and security to return home,” she cried.

The scale of devastation has been confirmed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). Officials from both agencies visited about 30 homes currently sheltering displaced persons. They also held discussions with traditional rulers, including the District Head of Dundaji, Malam Muhammad Bello Magaji, and the Head of Tungar Barke, Muhammadu Tudu, both of whom have themselves been displaced.

Other villages badly affected by the onslaught include Lungu, Tungar-Doruwa, Zango, Yan Yandu, Tungar Na’anza, and Ila, where survivors recount killings, abductions, and widespread destruction of livelihoods. Entire farming communities are now ghost settlements, fueling fears of worsening hunger and economic collapse in the region.

In a joint statement, NEMA and SEMA urgently appealed to the state and federal governments to deploy adequate security personnel to the affected areas. They also called for the immediate provision of food, medical supplies, and relief materials to the traumatised population.

Efforts to reach the Chairman of Shagari Local Government, Maidawa, proved unsuccessful as calls and text messages were not responded to at the time of filing this report. His absence has further angered residents, who accused local leaders of failing to stand by them in their moment of crisis.

However, the Special Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor on Security Matters, Hon. Aminu Liman Bodinga, confirmed the “unfortunate happenings” in the affected communities and acknowledged the protests in Shagari. He assured that the government was taking steps to restore peace, though residents remain sceptical given the scale of destruction already recorded.

The fact that bandits now operate with impunity in 16 of Sokoto’s 23 LGAs paints a grim picture of a state under siege. Communities that once bustled with farming and trade are now wastelands, with families scattered, children missing, and hope fading.

Sokoto residents are united in their plea: the government must rise decisively against this menace or risk watching entire communities erased by bandits who were virtually about to encircle the state.

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