Despite repeated government countermeasures and heavy security deployments, Sokoto State is bleeding under the iron grip of armed bandits who have unleashed a wave of unrelenting terror across 10 local government areas, leaving behind charred villages, mass graves, and shattered families.

In Sabon Birni, the birthplace of the state Deputy Governor, Idris Mohammad Gobir, nights have become a theatre of blood in many communities.

Heavily armed gangs storm villages around the council headquarters under the cover of darkness at will, burning homes, looting properties, and abducting helpless residents. Fear now rules the hearts of survivors who live each day knowing they may be the next target.

Isa Local Government has descended into lawlessness. In towns like Bafarawa, Kamarawa, Arume, and Gebe, bandits strut openly in daylight with rifles slung on their shoulders, parading like self imposed rulers. Along the highways of Gatawa, Hawan Drum, and Gundumi, they brazenly set up checkpoints, kidnapping commuters in broad daylight.

The memory of the shocking abduction of the District Head of Sabon Birni remains a haunting reminder of their impunity.

In Goronyo, Wurno, Rabah, Tureta, Dange/Shuni, and Shagari, the killers adapt guerrilla tactics, striking when storms rage and vigilance is weakest. They plunder shops, empty grain silos, and even cart away biscuits and soft drinks, leaving communities destitute and hungry in their wake. The terror in Illela, Tangaza, Gudu, Binji, Silame, and Kebbe follows a deadlier pattern. Around 2 a.m., when sleep is deepest, families are slaughtered in their beds, homes are set ablaze, and villages are emptied in chaotic flight. Entire communities have been uprooted, creating a flood of displaced persons.

The humanitarian crisis Is swelling daily: thousands uprooted, farms abandoned, schools deserted, and entire families wiped out.

Colonel Ahmed Abdul Usman (Rtd), Special Adviser on Security to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, admitted that the biggest stumbling block in the war against banditry is not the gunmen themselves, but their informants hiding among communities. “Informants are worse than bandits,” he declared, stressing that they betray their people for blood money.

Governor Aliyu has vowed to hunt down and punish informants with the same iron hand as the bandits they aid. He warned that no influence, social status, or connection will shield those caught from justice. “Anyone seeking to bail informants will face the law,” the Governor vowed.

To match words with action, the state government has strengthened collaboration with the Army, Police, DSS, NSCDC, and other security formations. Recently, it distributed 14 brand new Toyota Hilux vans and 100 motorcycles to boost mobility and rapid response, while also sustaining the provision of fuel, allowances, and logistics.

Community guards have been mobilized across affected councils to reinforce conventional forces, gathering intelligence and helping repel incursions. Yet, the resilience of the enemy remains daunting.

Governor Aliyu has also visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, distributing food, clothing, and cash relief to battered households. But even these interventions are mere palliatives in the face of the devastation spreading across the state.

Despite all efforts, the truth is stark: Sokoto remains a battlefield where the authority of government is contested daily by ruthless warlords. Rural communities continue to live in a shadow of fear, their lives dictated not by law but by the whims of bandits who have erected an unchallenged empire of terror. (Sunday Vanguard)