270 lives in 20 deadly attacks-group

Angered by the recent spike in insecurity in Sokoto, a coalition of Concerned Sokoto Citizens has called for urgent intervention, lamenting that from January, more than 270 lives have been lost in 20 deadly attacks.

Addressing journalists on behalf of the coalition, Professor Nasiru Gatawa said they were under siege and government must take decisive action.

According to him, “We have eight local governments in the eastern zone, which include Gada, Goronyo, Gwadabawa, Illeila, Isa, Rabbah, Sabon Birni and Wurno local government areas.

“The most terrorised local government in the zone is Sabon Birni where bandits operate freely and in a broad daylight for several hours and in many cases no help from government.

“Each of these local governments has part of it under the control of bandits whose heinous activities have crippled social and economic activities which have led to loss of hundreds of lives and properties running into billions of naira in the zone,” he said.

While lamenting the latest onslaught, the professor said, “Each of the eleven wards in Sabon Birni Local Government has parts of it under the total control of bandits whose permission and consent the villagers need to conduct wedding or naming ceremonies or even have a market day.

“As we speak today, even the local government headquarters of the 8 local governments in the eastern zone of Sokoto State are in total fear.

“The situation is getting so serious that even Sokoto metropolis cannot boast of being safe from the attacks of bandits because the activities of these bandits are gradually expanding to villages a few kilometres to Sokoto city,” he said.

Prof Gatawa recalled that on the eve of Eid-el- Fitr, suspected bandits attacked and killed a prominent business man in Ummaruma village, stone’s throw away from Sokoto city.” Few days ago, the representative of Sokoto East in the Senate,

Senator Ibrahim Gobir claimed that some parts of his constituency were under the control of bandits. He alleged that bandits had sacked traditional and political institutions, saying in some instances, locals relied on Nigerien security agencies.

The legislator said, “Our biggest problem now is that the bandits have taken over many villages and are having a field day.

“They have constituted themselves as judges. They have sacked the traditional and political institutions there, so there are no judges at all.

“The bandits now settle disputes between people. They resolve quarrels between husband and wife and so on.”