‘Seven Years Of Bandit Attacks’: Sokoto IDPs Lament Lost Farms As Woman Gives Birth On Road, Begs For Baby’s Wrapper

….Displaced Villagers Lament Killings, Burnt Homes, Stolen Livestock As Bandits Force Families Into School Shelters.

….Seven Years Of insecurity Leave Farmers Without Harvests As Displaced Residents Struggle For Food, Shelter, Medical Care

Daud Olatunji

Displaced residents of parts of Sokoto State have recounted harrowing experiences of years of bandit attacks, killings and destruction of livelihoods, with one woman revealing that she gave birth on the road while fleeing the assailants and was left without even a wrapper to carry her newborn baby.

The victims, from communities in Tambuwal, Shagari and surrounding areas, said persistent attacks had forced them to abandon their ancestral homes, farmlands and livestock, leaving many families struggling to survive in temporary shelters.

They appealed to President Bola Tinubu’s government and the Sokoto State Government to intensify security operations against the armed bandits, insisting that their greatest desire was to return home and resume their normal lives.

The displaced residents spoke in Hausa during interviews with Iconic FM Nigeria at temporary shelters in Jabo town, where several families have sought refuge in school buildings and other locations after fleeing renewed attacks on their communities.

For some, the displacement has lasted months, while others say insecurity has disrupted their lives for years, destroyed their sources of income and left them increasingly dependent on assistance from sympathisers.

An elderly displaced resident, Magaji Abdullahi, said the crisis had entered its seventh year, with residents unable to farm consistently because of the danger posed by armed men operating around their communities.

He lamented that the attackers had killed residents and carted away livestock, including camels, cattle, donkeys, goats and poultry, while forcing families to abandon their homes.

“What drove us away was the bandits. They chased us out of our villages in the bush, and we came here to seek refuge so that we could live in peace. The bandits are still in our communities,” he said.

“They have caused a lot of destruction and killed many people. They took away a lot of our property, including camels, cattle, donkeys, goats and chickens. They took everything.”

Abdullahi said the prolonged insecurity had destroyed the agricultural activities that once sustained families across the affected communities, leaving many unable to produce food for their households.

He explained that residents could no longer safely access their farmlands because many of the farms were located in areas where bandits operated.

Even the little crops some residents managed to plant had reportedly been destroyed, further worsening food shortages among displaced households.

“We are now in the seventh year of this problem, but we have not been able to carry out our farming activities as we used to. We cannot store food for our families because we cannot farm,” he said.

“Our farms are in the bush, and the bandits have made it impossible for us to work there. Even the little crops we managed to plant have been destroyed. There is no farming and no harvest.”

With their livelihoods disrupted, Abdullahi said many displaced families had been reduced to depending on occasional financial assistance from individuals who sympathised with their plight.

The money, he explained, was often used to purchase maize and other basic food items, but the assistance was insufficient to meet the needs of families living in the temporary shelters.

“We manage to get a little money from people who help us, and we use it to buy maize to eat. That is how we are surviving despite the hardship,” he said.