…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 over 20 settlements had been affected by this trend.
Shamaki noted that residents were hoping security agencies would help in pushing back the terrorists so that they could return to their ancestral homes. Also speaking on the matter, Malam Bashar Guyawa-Isa said some of the affected members of the community were now taking refuge in some communities in the Niger Republic.
He also appealed for timely intervention to salvage the situation, as many communities have been deserted.
There is fear among residents of different communities in the state over threats of attack by Turji and his group. The situation has forced many of the residents to flee their homes in search of safety.
Unconfirmed videos on social media showed some residents fleeing in overloaded vehicles. There have also been reports of bandits fleeing to other parts of the country after the bombardment of terrorists’ camps in Sokoto by the US government in December, 2025.
The Federal Government had earlier revealed that a total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms in a joint Nigeria–United States operation that targeted Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves in Sokoto State.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who revealed this in a statement, explained that during the course of the operation, debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal LGA of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near the premises of a hotel.
He, however, added that “no civilian casualties” were recorded in either location, and relevant authorities promptly secured the affected areas.
