Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Isa, Sokoto State, Nigeria — At least 28 villages in the Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State have been completely abandoned by their residents amid a sharp escalation in bandit attacks and threats from notorious armed groups, security sources and local lawmakers report. The mass displacement has triggered a deepening humanitarian crisis in this north-west agrarian region, as families flee violence, killings, kidnappings, and extortion by criminal elements.
The affected communities, which include Tidibale, Mansalo, Dangulbi, Tuwon Takawa, Yar Kurori, Dogon Bedi, Jimbima, Gidan-Rana, Kwannawa, Tafkin Gabas, and others, have been left virtually empty as terrified residents escaped to Isa town, the local government headquarters, and neighbouring settlements. Officials estimate that thousands of people, possibly more than 10,000 from the area alone, have been displaced in a matter of days, forcing families to abandon homes, farms and livelihoods.
The mass exodus follows a string of sustained bandit attacks, threats and reprisals attributed to armed factions loyal to the infamous bandit leader Bello Turji, whose influence in parts of Sokoto and neighbouring states has long fuelled insecurity. Turji’s alleged ultimatum reportedly demanded that residents vacate their villages or face lethal violence, prompting panic and flight even among those who had previously tried to remain.
One displaced resident, sheltering in Isa town, described the situation as dire and traumatising. “We fled with nothing but our lives,” he said. “There were killings, kidnappings and heavy levies imposed on us for years. Even when we paid, they still came back to extort, threaten and hurt us. We had no choice but to run.”
The pattern of violence against these communities extends beyond the latest wave of threats. Bandits have long targeted rural areas in Sokoto’s east, killing villagers, abducting citizens for ransom and imposing illegal contributions that residents were forced to pay to avoid attacks. Despite these extortion payments, many villages have suffered repeated assaults, compounding fear and uncertainty among civilians.
At least three entire political wards in the Isa constituency are now reported to have been completely deserted, with no functioning local services or economic activity, according to Hon. Habibu Halilu Modachi, a state lawmaker representing the area. He has publicly condemned the security situation as untenable and has urged federal and state authorities to respond swiftly to the crisis.
Life in the deserted villages has effectively collapsed. Once-bustling marketplaces lie silent, mosques stand empty, and livestock — a primary economic asset for many families — has been left behind or seized. Residents recounted scenes of normal life abruptly ending: “There is no shop open, no mosque call to prayer in the deserted homes,” one displaced farmer said. “Even celebrating life events is impossible when we have lost everything.”
Displaced families are now living in severely overcrowded conditions, sleeping in classrooms at public schools repurposed as temporary shelters or seeking refuge with host families. Support for these internally displaced persons (IDPs) remains limited, with only sporadic private donations such as maize and cassava flour providing basic relief. Official government assistance has lagged behind the urgent humanitarian needs.
The Sokoto State Police Command has acknowledged the developments and said it is awaiting a detailed report from commanders in the field, but detailed official casualty figures and a comprehensive security response strategy have not yet been made public. Meanwhile, community leaders and local analysts have criticised the lack of a sustained security presence in these rural areas, warning that the vacuum left by military or police withdrawals enables bandits to regroup and intensify attacks.
Security experts say the crisis in Sokoto reflects broader challenges in northwest Nigeria, where armed groups exploit porous terrain, weak law enforcement presence, and limited rapid-response capabilities to terrorise isolated populations. Attempts by troops and vigilante forces to clear bandit enclaves have yielded intermittent successes, but without consistent engagement and protective assurance, analysts warn that displaced families will remain reluctant to return home.
Adding to local grievances, residents complain that extortion by bandits — often in the form of illegal levies collected weekly or in lump sums — has drained scant economic resources from households, even as insecurity persisted. One villager estimated families were charged thousands of naira weekly, with some forced to pay millions at once, only to see violence recur.
The displacement of rural populations has raised urgent calls for a coordinated government response involving increased troop deployments, improved intelligence gathering, community protection measures, and humanitarian aid to address the immediate needs of IDPs and facilitate eventual return. Civil society groups and lawmakers alike are questioning the pace and scale of official action in the face of an ongoing humanitarian emergency.
As winter transitions into the agricultural season, many displaced farmers now face a bleak future, uncertain about when — or if — they can return to sow fields, harvest crops and resume normal lives. The mass desertion of villages in Sokoto not only underscores the profound human cost of Nigeria’s bandit conflict but also highlights the fragile security architecture in rural regions that have long been neglected in national policy and protective frameworks.
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