Nigeria: Mass displacement in Sokoto, protests in Zamfara as bandits attack intensifies
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
Fear and violence have forced hundreds of families in Sokoto State’s Tureta and Dange/Shuni areas to abandon their homes after months of relentless bandit attacks. Many now sleep under trees or in bushes, unable to risk staying indoors at night.
Halima, a mother of four from Tureta, hasn’t entered her home for three months. “Every night we sleep under a tree. We live in fear,” she said.
Meanwhile, in Zamfara State, residents from over 30 villages in Kaura-Namoda staged a peaceful protest in Gusau. Mostly women and children carried placards pleading for peace and government action. Many said their men had been killed or kidnapped, forcing them to sell farms and belongings to pay ransoms running into millions of naira.
The protesters appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal, Defence Minister Bello Matawalle, and President Bola Tinubu to urgently rescue them.
In Sokoto, repeated raids have destroyed livelihoods, wiping out livestock and crops. Schools have shut down, leaving children without education and deepening the humanitarian crisis. Local leaders are urging the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency and deploy permanent military forces.
The Sokoto State Government says it is working with security agencies and community guards, claiming “significant success” in ongoing operations, but residents remain unconvinced as attacks continue.
With the dry season—often a peak time for bandit activity—approaching, affected communities say the return of safety and dignity is desperately overdue.
