Sokoto Communities Threaten Resort to Self-Defense as Bandit Attacks Escalate
A crisis of insecurity is reaching a breaking point in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where exasperated residents have warned they will resort to self-defense if the government fails to provide immediate and effective protection against escalating bandit attacks.
This drastic threat signals a profound collapse of faith in state security and highlights the dire humanitarian and economic toll on agrarian communities.
Speaking to journalists at a press conference on Saturday, community representative Adamu Haruna from Kebbe town painted a terrifying picture, describing the situation as “unbearable.”
Haruna detailed how the violence—marked by incessant killings, kidnappings, and the large-scale rustling of livestock—has become increasingly coordinated.
The bandits, including those from the notorious group known as Lakurawa, are now targeting multiple villages such as Dukura, Dalijan, Ingushi, and Gwalli. The attacks have not only claimed lives and property but have also paralyzed local agriculture, with criminals actively threatening to prevent farmers from bringing in the upcoming harvest.
“Our lives are in danger. They’ve taken our property, our livestock, and now they’re abducting people,” Haruna lamented, emphasizing the desperation setting in among the populace.
The extensive damage was further underscored by Tukur Muhammadu of Fakku community, who reported a recent, devastating invasion of his town that resulted in the killing of at least 10 people and the abduction of over 30 others. The scale of the displacement is staggering, with approximately 17 villages in the Fakku axis now completely deserted.
In addition to the abductions and killings, over 500 livestock were stolen in the latest wave of attacks.
Muhammadu’s plea captured the community’s despair: “If the government cannot give us money or food, the least we ask for is protection.” In light of what they perceive as government failure, the Kebbe residents have formally urged the Federal Government to permit them to bear sophisticated weapons for self-defense and provide essential direct funding to local governments to equip community security outfits.
In a formal response, Ahmed Usman, the Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, acknowledged the growing crisis.
Usman assured the public that the government is “fully aware of the situation” in Kebbe and other affected areas, pledging that the administration is “doing everything possible to end the menace of banditry and protect our people.”
However, the community leaders’ continued public outcry suggests the state government’s current security measures have been insufficient to restore order or quell the fear spreading across the affected areas.
