Wednesday, September 3, 2025 - Hundreds of residents, including men, women, and children in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State, have staged a mass protest, blocking the Sokoto-Lagos trunk A highway to decry the spate of insecurity and bandit attacks in the state.
The protesters voiced that the deadly gangs were now
in control of many local government areas of the state, leaving residents
devastated, displaced, and increasingly hopeless.
The displaced residents,
some barefoot and visibly traumatised, poured into Shagari town, the council
headquarters, chanting slogans of frustration as they narrated their ordeal.
They expressed anger over
relentless attacks that have crippled their communities and demanded urgent
government action to stem the tide of killings and abductions.
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 the severity of the situation affecting
multiple communities.
“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 said.
He disclosed that the
armed groups attacked Aske Dodo, Tungar Barke, and Jandutse villages, killing
two persons 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 five, from Jandutse village, who recounted her
harrowing experience of separation from her children during the attack.
“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.
According
to Naija News the National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA) and the Sokoto State
Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have confirmed the scale of devastation in
separate statements.
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 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.
However, the Special
Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor on Security Matters, Aminu 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.
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