Sokoto Residents Demand Right to Bear Arms Amid Rising Bandit Attacks

Sokoto Residents Demand Right to Bear Arms Amid Rising Bandit Attacks

 

 

 

Residents of Kebbe Local Government Area (LGA) in Sokoto State have called on the federal government to allow them to bear arms for self-defence, following a surge in attacks by the Lakurawa bandit group.

 

Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Sokoto on Saturday, community leader Alhaji Adamu Haruna Kebbe said the recent spate of attacks has left many dead, displaced countless families, and forced entire communities to live in fear.

 

“We can no longer sleep with our eyes closed. Our people are being killed almost daily, and the government has abandoned us to our fate,” Haruna lamented, accusing state authorities of failing to assess the worsening security situation or provide adequate support to local vigilante groups.

 

The community leaders also demanded direct federal allocations to local governments to enable them fund and equip local security operatives. They argued that empowering communities would help curb the bloodshed.

 

Sokoto has witnessed persistent banditry in recent months, with attacks by groups such as the Lakurawas and factions linked to Bello Turji reported across Kebbe, Isa, and Sabon Birni LGAs. Residents say government responses have been inadequate.

 

Security analysts warn that such calls for arming civilians reflect a deep erosion of trust in official protection.

 

“If the government cannot protect us, it should allow us to protect ourselves,” one community leader said.

 

The residents warned that they could no longer sit idly by while bandits destroy homes and livelihoods. They urged the federal government to either strengthen protection measures or permit them to take defensive actions.