Residents of several communities in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State have raised the alarm over worsening bandit attacks that have left at least ten people dead, scores abducted, and more than 500 livestock rustled in recent weeks.
The community leaders, who addressed a press conference on Saturday, described the situation as unbearable, saying the absence of government intervention was forcing citizens into despair and fear of resorting to self-defence.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Alhaji Adamu Haruna from Kebbe town lamented that residents could no longer access their farms, markets, or even move freely without the threat of attack.
“Our lives are in danger. They have taken our property, our livestock, and now they have started abducting people. We’re no longer allowed to farm, and our belongings are being confiscated. People are getting desperate,” he said.
He added that bandits had become more coordinated in their operations, citing incidents in Dukura, where a man was killed for resisting abduction, and in Dalijan, where herds of cattle were driven away and later ambushed at a local watering point.
The attackers reportedly moved through communities such as Ingushi and Gwalli, leaving devastation before security agents could respond.
A resident of Fakku, Tukur Muhammadu, said the once-peaceful town was stormed recently, leaving several residents dead and more than 30 others abducted. He revealed that bandits had demanded ransoms running into tens of millions of naira.
“Seventeen towns in the Fakku axis are now deserted. We’ve appealed to the state government for help, but there has been no response.
“Shops have been looted, farmers are afraid to return to their fields even during this harvest period, and some shop owners are still in captivity,” Muhammadu lamented.
The communities also expressed fears over the growing influence of a feared group called Lakurawa, which they said had established dominance in the region.
As the attacks intensify, displaced residents are calling on both the Sokoto State Government and federal authorities to urgently deploy more security personnel to the affected areas.
“If the government cannot provide food or money, the least we ask for is security,” Muhammadu stressed.
So far, the wave of violence has displaced thousands, emptied at least 17 towns, and heightened fears of famine as farmlands remain abandoned in the face of daily raids.
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