In a worsening security crisis in Sokoto State, no fewer than 28 villages in the Isa Local Government Area of Sokota state have been completely abandoned by residents fleeing sustained and brutal attacks by bandits, many loyal to notorious kingpin Bello Turji.
The affected communities, including Tidibale, Mansalo, Dangulbi, Tuwon Takawa, Yar Kurori, Dogon Bedi, Jimbima, Gidan-Rana, Kwannawa, and several others, have seen thousands displaced.
Reports indicate that over 10,000 people from the Tidibale axis alone have fled, often using more than 200 vehicles to evacuate families to safer areas like Isa town, the local government headquarters.
Displaced residents are now sheltering as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in public schools and temporary locations in Isa town, where overcrowding is severe.
Many sleep in classrooms, while others roam the streets with no proper accommodation.
The attacks involve killings, kidnappings, wounding of locals, and the imposition of heavy illegal levies on communities for years. One resident described the terror:“We run away from our villages to save our lives. Bandits from different camps kept imposing huge levies on us. Whenever they entered our villages, they killed, kidnapped and wounded people.”
Another added that households had been forced to pay N3,000 weekly for nearly four years, with some levies reaching between N1 million and N4 million.
Despite these payments, several people remain in captivity.The recent mass displacement was triggered by reprisal threats following a military and vigilante operation that killed some bandits loyal to Turji.
Bandits accused villagers of collaborating with security forces and reportedly issued ultimatums to vacate or face death even killing three residents in Tidibale who refused to leave their ancestral homes.
Life in the deserted villages has collapsed: no functioning shops, restricted access to mosques, lost livestock, and no means to celebrate basic events like births.
A local security analyst noted that the absence of sustained security presence allows bandits to regroup after troops withdraw, making residents hesitant to return without stronger measures.
Sokoto State House of Assembly member Hon. Habibu Halilu Modachi, representing the Isa constituency, raised the alarm, stating that three entire wards in his area are now deserted:“Right now, three of my wards are deserted due to banditry. All the communities in these wards are empty. Anybody who tells you that the security situation in Isa and Sabon Birni has improved is either not from these areas or is lying for personal reasons.”
He highlighted a recent attack on Bargaja community, where bandits killed two people (including the elder brother of a state High Court judge) and abducted four others, urging security agencies to respond more swiftly to distress calls.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the incidents, saying they are awaiting a detailed report from the local Divisional Police Officer.
Displaced persons report minimal government support, with only private donations (such as 100 bags of maize and cassava flour from one individual) providing limited relief.
This ongoing crisis highlights the persistent threat of banditry in northwestern Nigeria, forcing rural communities to abandon their homes and livelihoods in fear for their lives.
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