KEY POINTS
- Bandits in Sokoto are now hiring and firing village heads, disrupting local governance.
- The council chairman reports that armed groups have taken over control in his local government area.
- Authorities are urged to intervene to restore order and protect civilians.
The council chairman of a local government in Sokoto State has accused bandits of having taken over control of several local communities in the state to an extent of appointing and removing village heads.
This brings out the issue of deep security challenges in the region that currently has groups of armed men exercising control over the rural areas.
The council chairman who raised the alarm over the situation painted a worrisome picture of the new order where bandits have taken over his local government and the local government is helpless to stop them.
He pointed out that these criminal elements have now taken over leadership in villages and are the ones who decide who should remain in power and who should be ousted.
The rise of bandits in Sokoto
The situation in Sokoto has become worse as bandits continue to take over the rural areas. These armed groups have in the past time retaliated by attacking soft targets through kidnappings, killings, and coercing citizens through extortion.
Lack of a strong fight from local security forces has seen the bandits take over the administration, and other governance structures in some parts of the country, thus worsening the security situation.
It has been reported that the bandits are now anointing their own village heads and demoting those who do not support them.
This control also give them ability to put even deeper root on local communities, make people to fear and live in instability. The council chairman complained about the situation and called on the federal government to intervene and bring order.
According to Tribune Online, the council chairman disclosed that the villagers now live in fear of these bandits who have not only usurped the leadership of the communities but have also been collecting unlawful taxes and levies from the people.
Despite such unfavorable policies, the villagers have no option than to endure these harsh policies since noncompliance draws reactive retaliatory violence from the state actors.
Security threat and call for interference
The level of control the bandits have over the communities complained of underscores the absence of security in Sokoto and other parts of northern Nigeria.
Due to the fact that security forces in several regions are overwhelmed by similar problems, the freedom of these groups to act has increased. This position has made people insecure, and many of them were either evicted or compelled to surrender to the bandits.
The council chairman urged for a security intervention saying that the longer the situation lasts, the harder it will be to fix. He said that it cannot be a military approach alone but there must be a humanitarian goal of helping the displaced folks.
People of the area have expressed similar sentiments and urged the government to send more soldiers and equipment to the region to contain the menace.
A glimmer of hope amid crisis
However, worse comes to worst, there is still a chance to put a stop to these criminals in action because the fight is still going on.
Most of the community leaders are convinced that with the help of the state and federal authorities, with the support of local intelligence, it is possible to expel the bandits and establish order in the territories that have been occupied by them.
The council chairman called on the local people to be alert and assist security organizations.
He also said that he believed that the current dialogue between the government and the traditional authorities may result in a solution that will provide the people of the region with the long-awaited peace.
