Fear and anguish have gripped communities in Kebbe and Tambuwal Local Government Areas of Sokoto State following a wave of violent attacks by Lakurawa bandits and kidnappers that forced residents to flee their homes in droves.
The heavily armed assailants stormed multiple villages in coordinated raids, burning houses, looting food stores, and leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Fakku, Sha’alwashi, Tulluwa, Bashi Bakin Dutse, and Rafin-Gora in Kuchi District of Kebbe were among the hardest-hit, with terrified villagers abandoning their ancestral homes.
The village head of Fakku and his family have been forced into exile in Koko, Kebbi State, joining hundreds of displaced persons who have crossed state boundaries in search of safety.
In Jabo District of Tambuwal LGA, communities including Gesolodi, Hilya, Guraye, Guma, Chakai, Modo, Badariya, Tafki, Balera, Gudumawa, and Rafin Shinkafa also came under siege.
Survivors recounted how the bandits killed, kidnapped, and razed properties in a style of attack now synonymous with the Lakurawa group.
The raids have triggered widespread displacement. Families have trekked long distances with little or nothing, while croplands and livestock have been abandoned.
Humanitarian concerns are mounting as food scarcity looms in the affected areas.
Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, member representing Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency, presented relief materials including maize, millet, gari, and other items to affected families, while condoling with households who lost loved ones.
He described the crisis as a reflection of the worsening insecurity in Sokoto and urged security agencies to act swiftly to reclaim the sacked villages.
Community members who escaped narrated harrowing experiences, some watched relatives killed, others fled as their homes and food stores went up in flames. Many now live in makeshift shelters, uncertain if they will ever return.
The continuing attacks in Kebbe and Tambuwal underscore the growing threat of banditry in Sokoto’s rural areas, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis if urgent intervention is not made.