Insecurity spreads in Sokoto

Despite efforts by the Sokoto State Government to tackle insecurity, armed attacks, killings, kidnapping and cattle rustling have continued to affect communities across the state, forcing thousands of residents to abandon their homes and disrupting farming and other economic activities.

Of the state’s 23 local government areas, few have remained relatively insulated from the violence, with the urban centres of Sokoto north and south among the areas considered less affected.

The situation has become particularly worrying in the eastern part of the state, where residents of several villages have fled to larger towns, Sokoto metropolis and neighbouring states. Some have reportedly crossed into the Republic of Niger in search of safety.

The violence has also spread to parts of southern Sokoto, an area previously regarded as relatively peaceful, with communities in Kebbe, Bodinga, Shagari, Yabo and Tambuwal facing attacks attributed to suspected members of the Lakurawa group, while armed bandits have continued to threaten parts of Tureta and Dange Shuni.

The attacks have resulted in deaths, abductions, destruction of livelihoods and rustling of livestock worth millions of naira.

Eastern Sokoto bears the brunt

Sokoto East, comprising Sabon Birni, Isa, Goronyo, Gada, Wurno, Rabah, Illela and Gwadabawa local government areas, has remained one of the worst-affected parts of the state.

Residents and security sources have frequently blamed suspected bandits operating from neighbouring Zamfara State, particularly the Shinkafi axis, for some of the attacks.

The proximity of Isa and Rabah to Zamfara has raised concerns about the movement of armed groups across state borders.

In Sokoto north senatorial district, insecurity has also affected Gudu, Tangaza, Silame and Binji, as well as some rural communities in Wamakko and Kware.

Suspected Lakurawa fighters who have been associated with extremist activities have been blamed for attacks in parts of the area.

Although residents and security sources said attacks in some eastern communities had reduced in frequency, concerns remain over the safety of rural populations, particularly amid reports that armed groups have shifted their operations to other locations in Sokoto and neighbouring Kebbi State.

Southern Sokoto no longer spared

Southern Sokoto, which comprises Tambuwal, Bodinga, Dange Shuni, Tureta, Shagari, Yabo and Kebbe local government areas, has also experienced deterioration in security.

Suspected Lakurawa fighters have been linked to attacks in Kebbe, Bodinga, Shagari, Yabo and Tambuwal, while suspected bandits have targeted communities in Tureta and Dange Shuni.

The latter areas are close to parts of Zamfara State, including Talata Mafara, Gummi and Bukkuyum, raising concerns about cross-border movements by armed groups.

The violence has killed residents, displaced families and forced many farmers to abandon their fields. Livestock rustling has further compounded the economic difficulties facing rural communities.

Humanitarian worker killed

The deteriorating security situation was highlighted by the killing of Lydia Chinenye Nwankwo, a humanitarian worker who was shot dead when suspected bandits attacked a vehicle conveying humanitarian personnel along the Kajiji-Shagari road.

The attack occurred at 7pm on a Tuesday as workers returned from field activities in Tambuwal Local Government Area.

Nwankwo’s younger sister, Victoria, confirmed the incident, saying her sister was shot in the chest while two colleagues sustained gunshot injuries.

One of the injured workers was shot in the leg, while the other sustained a bullet graze.

Victoria said the family received Nwankwo’s body at 11pm after her colleagues informed them of the attack.

The deceased had worked with development organisations and non-governmental organisations in Sokoto State. She began her humanitarian career as a volunteer with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Sokoto branch before becoming a field supervisor on a project focused on child health and zero-dose immunisation.

Bello Shehu Gwadabawa, the chairman of the Coalition of Non-governmental Organisation in Sokoto, also confirmed that he had been informed of her death, describing her as a worker with one of the development partners supporting the state Ministry of Health.

Villages deserted in Bodinga

In July, attacks by suspected bandits forced residents to abandon at least 30 villages in Danchadi district of Bodinga Local Government Area.

According to a report signed by the district head, Alhaji Lirwanu Mafaran Kuwarun Sarkin Musulmi, the attacks displaced hundreds of residents and resulted in the rustling of more than 1,000 livestock.

The report, dated July 3, 2026, initially documented six deaths in Kyaluje and Dibarke communities. However, the district head later told Weekend Trust that subsequent investigations confirmed that eight people had been killed.

He said many residents remained traumatised, while some families were still searching for missing relatives.

The traditional ruler suspected that the attackers entered the district from the neighbouring Zamfara State through Tureta Local Government Area.

He appealed to the government to deploy security personnel permanently to the affected communities, saying there was no sustained security presence in the area after the attacks.

According to him, hundreds of displaced residents fled to Danchadi, Bodinga and Sifawa towns, where some took refuge in schools and homes of relatives.

A displaced resident, Malam Mainasara Danjumma, said the attackers stormed Kyaluje at 4pm while some residents were on their farms and others were at home.

He said the gunmen moved from house to house, looting valuables and mobile phones before leaving around midnight.

The attackers also killed the village’s chief imam, Malam Bashar Kyaluje and two other residents, according to Danjumma.

The district head appealed for additional humanitarian assistance, noting that the victims had lost livestock and other valuable belongings.

Although some residents had started returning to their communities, others remained apprehensive about the possibility of fresh attacks.

Farmers unable to harvest crops in Isa

In Isa Local Government Area, the security crisis has disrupted agricultural activities, leaving many farmers unable to harvest crops from their fields.

Residents said farmers who cultivated beans, millet and other crops were afraid to visit their farms for fear of being attacked or even kidnapped, Weekend Trust gathered.

One resident told our correspondent that produce was being left to deteriorate in the fields because farmers could not safely access their farms.

“We have beans and millet on our farms, but we cannot go and harvest them because we are afraid the bandits may attack us,” he said.

He expressed concern that farmers could lose the benefits of months of hard work, and appealed for security personnel to escort them to their farms.

“We are looking for a way out so that we would not lose everything we worked for. We are afraid that someone could go to harvest crops worth less than N10,000 and end up being kidnapped with a demand for N10 million as ransom,” he said.

He appealed to the Sabon Birni Local Government authorities to assist farmers by providing security escorts to enable them harvest their crops safely.

He added that displaced residents from surrounding villages were still taking refuge in Isa town.

According to him, nearly all the schools in the area have been converted to camps for internally displaced persons, with only one reportedly remaining outside the arrangement.

He said only four villages in the affected areas still had a significant number of residents, while others had been largely deserted.

Travel restricted in Isa, Sabon Birni

Insecurity has also disrupted movement between Isa, Sabon Birni and Sokoto metropolis.

Residents said people from Isa and Sabon Birni travelled to Sokoto mainly on Mondays and Wednesdays, accompanied by security personnel.

A resident explained that travellers previously used the Sabon Birni route because it was considered safer, but the route had become difficult to use, forcing many to travel through Gundumi.

He said Isa Local Government Council had been providing money for fuel and other operational requirements to facilitate security escorts.

According to him, security personnel escort travellers to Sokoto and wait for them to complete their businesses before accompanying them back in the evening.

Another resident of Sabon Birni, however, said some travellers still used the route through the town because boats were available to ferry them across a river before continuing their journey by road.

Residents also reported a reduction in killings in parts of eastern Sokoto, although cattle rustling and other criminal activities remained a concern.

One resident attributed the decline in killings to the suspected bandits’ increasing focus on stealing livestock and abducting people for ransom.

Deputy governor blames poor coordination

Amid the continuing attacks, the Sokoto State deputy governor and chairman of the State Security Committee, Idris Mohammed Gobir, an engineer, blamed poor coordination among security operatives for some recent attacks in the eastern and southern parts of the state.

Gobir made the remark in a recent interview with ATS Hausa while reacting to attacks on Unguwan Lalle, Tsamaye, Lajinge and Garin Malamai communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area.

He said the attack on Unguwan Lalle forced residents to flee across Sangerawa despite the presence of soldiers, forest guards and community guards in the area.

According to him, four security vehicles, including a Mine-Resistant Tactical vehicle, had been deployed to the area, alongside other security personnel.

“We must investigate what happened and identify the problem. What we are doing is for the sake of Allah, not politics,” he said.

Gobir said the state security committee was dissatisfied with the  initial attack, but noted that security operatives responded more effectively during a subsequent incident, reportedly neutralising several bandits.

He also cited attacks in Garin Malamai, where armed men crossed rivers and streams to rustle cattle kept by residents in grazing areas.

The deputy governor said Tsamaye had a military base, two security vehicles and community guards, yet the attackers were still able to reach remote areas and steal livestock.

He stressed that effective coordination among security agencies and neighbouring states was essential to addressing the problem.

Gobir noted that Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and Katsina states fell under the same General Officer Commanding, making cooperation among military formations in the states crucial for successful operations.

He maintained that while state governments provided financial and logistical support, the coordination of military operations remained primarily the responsibility of the military authorities.

Despite the challenges, the Sokoto State Government says it has continued to invest in equipment, infrastructure and logistical support for security agencies.

The Governor Ahmed Aliyu administration has procured and distributed Toyota Hilux and Buffalo patrol vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, motorcycles, protective equipment and surveillance devices to security agencies.

Regional security cooperation critical to tackling insecurity — Sokoto adviser

The Special Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor on Security Matters, Colonel Ahmed Usman (retd), called for deeper regional security cooperation among ECOWAS member-states to confront emerging security threats.

Usman said stronger collaboration among countries in the subregion was particularly important to states, such as Sokoto, which shares a long border with the Niger Republic and has continued to contend with security challenges that often have cross-border dimensions.

He said the increasingly interconnected nature of terrorism, banditry, arms trafficking, violent extremism and other transnational crimes made it necessary for security agencies and governments across the region to work together.

According to him, criminals and terrorist groups do not recognise national boundaries, making intelligence sharing, joint operations, coordinated border surveillance and stronger communication among security agencies essential to addressing the threats.

The retired military officer also supported the call for regular joint training and exercises, saying such initiatives would improve the capacity of security forces to operate together when confronting threats that cut across national boundaries.

He noted that Sokoto had a direct stake in efforts to strengthen the ECOWAS security architecture because developments along the Nigeria-Niger border could have implications for communities and security operations within the state.