Tag: Sokoto

Over 150 bandits drown in Sokoto river

Aminu Imam
Bandits drown in Sokoto2

No fewer than 150 suspected bandits have reportedly drowned after a boat conveying them capsized in Sabon-Gida area of Sokoto State. Local sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on Saturday evening when the vessel, carrying a large number of armed men, overturned while crossing a water body in the area. The sources said the bandits were travelling in large numbers when the boat suddenly capsized, throwing all occupants into the water. “Preliminary information suggests that many of them could not swim, leading to heavy casualties,” a source said.…

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Sokoto: Commission alleges ₦117bn misappropriation under Tambuwal

Aminu Imam
Sokoto Commission on Tambuwal

A judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Sokoto State government has submitted a report alleging that over ₦117 billion was misappropriated during the eight-year administration of former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.  The Commission, led by Justice Mu’azu Abdulkadir Pindiga (rtd), cited non-compliance with due process, breaches of extant laws, and abuse of office as key issues. The Commission’s findings revealed widespread financial irregularities totaling over ₦117 billion, largely attributed to disregard for procurement laws, weak financial controls, and abuse of Executive authority. The report highlighted non-compliance with due…

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Sokoto: Bandits kill 7 persons, abduct others

Aminu Imam
Sokoto bandits kill

…As IED explosion injures 5 in Zamfara At least seven people were reported killed and three others abducted in a bandit attack on a border community in Sokoto State, while a separate suspected improvised explosive device (IED) explosion left five persons seriously injured in neighbouring Zamfara State on Thursday. In Sokoto, according to a report by a security intelligence expert, Zagazola Makama, bandits stormed Kyara village in Sabon-Birni local government area in the early hours of the day, killing seven residents and kidnapping three others.  The village, located near the…

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Terrorism: Sokoto leaders decry threats of Bello Turji attacks

Aminu Imam
Bello Turji attacks

…Seeks Govt. intervention Stakeholders from the troubled eastern senatorial district of Sokoto State have called on the government and security agencies to come to the aid of the Tidibale and other communities sacked by the activities of a notorious bandit, leader Bello Turji.  Secretary of the Sokoto Eastern Zone Development Association, Mu’azu Shamaki, confirmed that the recent video circulating on social media, where members of Tidibale are seen vacating their communities following an alleged threat from Bello Turji, was a trend that had subjected residents to untold hardship. He said…

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Sokoto: Govt. disburses ₦4.2bn for reconstruction of burnt Central Market

Aminu Imam
Sokoto govt. disburses

The Sokoto state government has approved and disbursed ₦4.2 billion, representing 50 percent mobilisation fees, for the reconstruction of the Sokoto Central Market, which was destroyed by fire. Governor Ahmed Aliyu announced the development while flagging-off the disbursement, describing it as the fulfilment of a key campaign promise and a decisive step towards restoring the economic heartbeat of the state. According to the governor, the release of funds follows the resolution of several challenges that had delayed the project, including the successful reclamation of the market site. He noted that…

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Bandits stop harvest in Zamfara, force Sokoto farmers to pay ‘harvest taxes’

Aminu Imam
Bandits stop harvest

Farmers in parts of Zamfara and Sokoto States have raised alarm over increasing levies and intimidation by armed bandits, who they say are imposing conditions on communities for this year’s harvest season. Residents told newsmen that despite favourable rainfall in recent years, widespread attacks have turned farmlands into conflict zones, putting farmers in constant fear and threatening food supplies across northern Nigeria. Villagers reported that bandits have introduced what they describe as “harvest taxes,” demanding payments in cash or agricultural produce before allowing farmers to access or harvest their fields.…

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Sokoto: 10 killed in Kebbi, as  communities face ₦15m bandit levy threat

Aminu Imam
Sokoto attack

Fresh waves of violence have rocked parts of Northwestern Nigeria, leaving at least ten people dead in Kebbi State, sparking widespread panic in neighbouring Sokoto, where bandits have demanded a ₦15 million levy from residents. In Kebbi, tragedy struck the Tilli community in Bunza local government area on Sunday, when suspected Lakurawa terrorists launched a reprisal attack on a Fulani settlement, killing no fewer than ten herders and injuring several others. Local sources said the attack was triggered by the earlier killing of a vigilante member by suspected bandits in…

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Sokoto: Residents seek help after bandits sack 8 communities

Aminu Imam
Sokoto residents

Hundreds of residents in Shagari local government area of Sokoto State have fled their homes following coordinated attacks by bandits that emptied entire villages. The National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), and the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) confirmed the mass displacement during a joint assessment visit to a temporary Internally Displaced Persons settlement at the 30 Houses Estate in Shagari town on Friday. Community leaders, including the Hakimin ‘Yan Dundaji, Malam Magaji, and the Maigarin Tungar-Barke, Muhammadu Tudu, said the bandits struck three days earlier, forcing families from at…

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Sokoto: Many feared dead in another boat accident

Aminu Imam
Sokoto boat accident

Sokoto State was thrown into mourning on Thursday evening, following another boat accident in Shagari local government area, where scores of passengers were feared dead. The incident is the third boat accident recorded in Sokoto within one month. Confirming the development in a statement yesterday, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on the State Emergency Management Agency, Aminu Liman Boɗinga, said officials from the state’s Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) have commenced search and rescue operations. Eyewitnesses…

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Sokoto: Six Dead, 3 missing, as residents fleeing bandits drown

Aminu Imam
Sokoto boat mishap

At least 6 people have died and three others are missing following a boat accident in the Garin Faji area of Sabon-Birni local government area, Sokoto State, as residents fled an attack by suspected bandits. It was learnt that the tragedy occurred in the early hours of Thursday, marking the second time of such an incident in less than a week. Recall that six days earlier, four people had lost their lives in a similar accident in the neighbouring Goronyo local government area. It was gathered that the victims were…

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