Bandits Tighten Grip on 10 Sokoto LGAs as Communities Live in Fear

Despite government crackdowns and heavy security deployments, Sokoto State remains under siege as armed bandits tighten their grip on at least 10 local government areas. Their reign of terror has left villages razed, families displaced, and communities struggling for survival.

Sabon Birni: Epicenter of Fear

In Sabon Birni—birthplace of Deputy Governor Idris Mohammad Gobir—armed gangs raid villages under the cover of darkness, torching homes, looting property, and abducting residents. Survivors live each day in dread, unsure of when the next attack will come.

Isa LGA: Bandits in Broad Daylight

Isa Local Government has descended into near anarchy. In Bafarawa, Kamarawa, Arume, and Gebe, bandits roam freely with rifles slung over their shoulders, openly parading as self-imposed rulers. Along highways such as Gatawa, Hawan Drum, and Gundumi, they brazenly mount checkpoints, kidnapping commuters in broad daylight. The abduction of Sabon Birni’s District Head remains a chilling reminder of their impunity.

Expanding Territory of Terror

In Goronyo, Wurno, Rabah, Tureta, Dange/Shuni, and Shagari, the attackers strike with guerrilla tactics, plundering shops, looting food stores, and even seizing biscuits and soft drinks. Further afield, Illela, Tangaza, Gudu, Binji, Silame, and Kebbe witness even bloodier assaults: families are slaughtered in their sleep, homes burned, and entire villages emptied in chaotic flight. The mass displacement has triggered a worsening humanitarian crisis—farms abandoned, schools shut, and thousands forced into IDP camps.

Informants Under Fire

Colonel Ahmed Abdul Usman (Rtd), Special Adviser on Security to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, identified informants as the gravest obstacle. “Informants are worse than bandits,” he said, accusing them of betraying their people for “blood money.”

Governor Aliyu has vowed to punish informants as harshly as the bandits themselves: “Anyone seeking to bail informants will face the law,” he warned.

Government Response

To boost the fight, the state government has distributed 14 Toyota Hilux vans and 100 motorcycles to security agencies for mobility and rapid response. It has also supported community guards with logistics and intelligence-gathering to reinforce conventional forces.

Governor Aliyu has personally visited IDP camps, distributing food, clothing, and cash relief. Yet, these interventions remain palliatives in the face of relentless bloodshed.

Sokoto at War

Despite these efforts, Sokoto continues to bleed. Government authority in rural areas is contested daily by ruthless warlords. For many residents, life is now dictated not by law, but by the whims of bandits who have built what resembles an “empire of terror.”