Terror-Ravaged-Communities-In-Northern-Nigeria- Youths in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State have threatened to arm themselves in self-defence following a surge in bandit attacks and kidnappings.…….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>> In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by youth activist Bello Bala Shagari, the group expressed frustration over what they described as government failure to protect lives and property. According to the statement, an online meeting of Shagari youths concluded that persistent attacks have displaced families, disrupted farming activities, and left entire communities living in fear. Mr. Shagari, a grandson of former Nigerian President Shehu Shagari, said the decision to consider self-defence was a last resort. “The government has done little to protect us. We cannot sit idle while our people suffer. Self-defence may be our only remaining option,” he said. He added: “Although we prefer peace, we can no longer watch lives being lost and property destroyed on a daily basis.” The group urged both the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government to immediately deploy more security forces to Shagari and surrounding areas, insisting that only urgent and proactive measures could restore confidence and prevent lawlessness. Security experts have long cautioned that communities arming themselves could worsen violence and derail peace efforts. Yet, with bandit attacks spreading across Sokoto and other North-Western states, calls for community-based defence are gaining ground. Sokoto, like Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi, has endured years of banditry marked by mass abductions, killings, and raids on rural villages. Conflict trackers such as SBM Intelligence estimate that hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced in the North-West since 2021. Notable incidents include the abduction of 279 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe (Zamfara) in 2021, the kidnapping of 27 students and staff from Government Science College, Kagara (Niger State), and the abduction of 156 pupils from Salihu Tanko Islamiya School, Tegina. Sokoto has also witnessed repeated massacres, including the killing of over 40 travellers in Sabon Birni LGA in 2021. Despite sustained military operations such as Operation Hadarin Daji and Operation Safe Haven, insecurity persists. Civil society groups, including Amnesty International, continue to report widespread extortion, forced levies, and killings of villagers by armed groups. The Shagari youths’ warning mirrors similar developments in Zamfara and Katsina, where local vigilante groups known as Yan Sakai emerged but often triggered retaliatory violence from bandits.…….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
in Politics
