Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A renewed wave of violence swept through Sokoto State on Monday night when armed bandits attacked Kaibaba community in Isa Local Government Area, killing one resident and abducting several others, including the community’s traditional ruler. The assault, which occurred under the cover of darkness, has once again drawn attention to the persistent insecurity that continues to plague large parts of northern Nigeria.
Residents of Kaibaba recounted scenes of panic as gunmen stormed the village, firing sporadically and forcing people to flee into surrounding bushes. By the time the attackers withdrew, at least one person lay dead, while an unspecified number of villagers had been taken away. The abduction of the traditional leader has heightened anxiety, given the symbolic and administrative role such figures play in rural communities.
Local sources said the attackers operated for hours without resistance, underscoring longstanding complaints about inadequate security presence in remote settlements. While security agencies have yet to issue a detailed public statement on the incident, residents say this was not the first time Kaibaba and neighbouring communities had come under attack. Rather, it was another episode in a cycle of violence that has become grimly familiar across the northwest.
Sokoto State, like neighbouring Zamfara, Katsina and parts of Kebbi, has been at the epicentre of banditry for several years. Armed groups, often operating from forested hideouts, carry out raids that include killings, kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling and the destruction of homes. Despite repeated military operations and police deployments, attacks continue to occur with alarming regularity.
Isa Local Government Area, located near the border with Niger Republic, has been particularly vulnerable due to its expansive terrain and porous borders. Security analysts note that bandit groups exploit these geographic realities, moving quickly across communities and evading pursuit by retreating into forests or crossing into neighbouring jurisdictions. This has complicated response efforts and prolonged the insecurity faced by civilians.
The kidnapping of a traditional ruler in Kaibaba has added another layer of concern. In many northern communities, traditional leaders serve as intermediaries between government authorities and local populations, playing key roles in conflict resolution, community mobilisation and intelligence sharing. Their abduction not only destabilises local governance but also sends a chilling message that no one is beyond the reach of armed groups.
Across northern Nigeria, kidnappings have increasingly targeted community leaders, clerics, farmers and travellers. Ransoms demanded by bandits have reportedly grown over time, fueling a lucrative criminal economy that sustains the violence. Families are often forced to sell land, livestock or other assets to secure the release of loved ones, deepening poverty in already struggling communities.
The latest attack has reignited public debate over the effectiveness of current security strategies. Federal and state authorities have launched multiple military operations over the years, involving the army, air force and other security agencies. While these operations have occasionally disrupted bandit camps and led to the arrest or neutralisation of suspects, critics argue that they have not delivered lasting peace.
Some residents and civil society actors contend that security responses have been overly reactive, focusing on short-term deployments rather than sustained protection. They also point to the limited presence of security personnel in rural areas, where communities can be left exposed for long periods. In Kaibaba, villagers say they had little warning and no immediate support when the attackers struck.
Beyond military action, analysts stress that the crisis in northern Nigeria is rooted in complex social and economic factors. Years of poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation and weak local governance have created conditions in which armed groups can recruit and operate. Competition over land and resources, exacerbated by climate pressures, has also contributed to local conflicts that sometimes intersect with banditry.
Government officials have repeatedly pledged to address these underlying issues through development programmes, dialogue initiatives and community-based security efforts. In some states, authorities have experimented with negotiated settlements or amnesty arrangements, though these approaches have generated controversy. Critics argue that negotiations can embolden armed groups, while supporters say they offer a pragmatic route to reducing violence in the short term.
The question increasingly being asked by residents, as echoed after the Kaibaba attack, is when the cycle of violence will finally end. For many communities, repeated attacks have eroded trust in the state’s ability to protect lives and property. Some villagers have abandoned their homes altogether, swelling the ranks of internally displaced persons and placing additional strain on host communities.
Humanitarian organisations operating in the region warn that continued insecurity threatens food production and livelihoods. Farmers are often unable to access their fields for fear of abduction or attack, leading to reduced harvests and higher food prices. In Sokoto and other affected states, this dynamic has compounded existing economic challenges.
Political leaders from the region have called for more decisive and coordinated action, including improved intelligence gathering, better equipment for security forces and stronger collaboration with local communities. There have also been calls for enhanced border security to stem the movement of armed groups and weapons across frontiers.
At the same time, voices from within affected communities emphasise the need for justice and accountability. Many residents argue that perpetrators of violence are rarely prosecuted, creating a culture of impunity that allows banditry to persist. Strengthening the rule of law, they say, is as important as deploying troops.
As night fell again over Kaibaba and neighbouring villages, fear lingered in the air. Families waited anxiously for news of those abducted, uncertain of what demands might follow or whether their loved ones would return safely. The death of one resident, though just a single life in statistical terms, has become another painful reminder of the human cost of Nigeria’s prolonged security crisis.
Until sustainable solutions are found, incidents like the Kaibaba attack are likely to continue raising the same troubling question across northern Nigeria. How many more communities must be attacked, how many more leaders abducted, and how many more lives lost before the cycle of violence is finally broken?
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