Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Kebbi State Police Command has warned against any plan to block the Kebbi-Sokoto highway, threatening legal action against anyone who disrupts traffic on the strategic road, which serves as a critical link between the two northwestern states and carries thousands of travellers, traders and agricultural produce daily.
The warning was issued on Friday, October 9, 2026, by the command’s spokesperson, who said the police had received intelligence that some individuals were planning to block the highway in protest over an unspecified grievance. The command said blocking the highway was a criminal offence that endangered lives, disrupted commerce and hindered the movement of security personnel and emergency services. “We have received credible information that some persons are planning to block the Kebbi-Sokoto highway. We are warning that such an act will not be tolerated. Anyone found disrupting traffic on that road will face the full weight of the law,” the spokesperson said. The police did not disclose the identity of the groups or individuals planning the blockade, nor did they specify the nature of the grievance. But the warning comes amid heightened tension in the region over insecurity, particularly banditry and kidnapping, which have made travel on many highways in the North-West perilous.
The Kebbi-Sokoto highway is one of the most important roads in Nigeria’s North-West, connecting Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, to Sokoto, the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate. The road passes through several local government areas in Kebbi and Sokoto states, including Jega, Maiyama, Koko/Besse and Yauri in Kebbi, and Tambuwal, Kebbe and Shagari in Sokoto. It is a vital artery for the movement of agricultural produce, livestock, fuel and manufactured goods. In recent years, it has also become a flashpoint for bandit attacks, with armed groups targeting travellers, rustling livestock and abducting passengers for ransom. In August 2026, bandits killed two people and rustled livestock in Dukura community in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, blocking the road linking Dukura to Tambuwal market. In September, bandits killed a police inspector during an attack on travellers in the Shagari area of Sokoto State. In October, suspected Lakurawa terrorists killed two soldiers and a Chinese national in an attack on construction workers along the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway project in Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The persistent insecurity has fuelled public anger and demands for government action, and blocking highways has become a recurring tactic for communities protesting against attacks.
The police warning is therefore intended to prevent a situation in which frustration over insecurity escalates into a blockade that could further endanger travellers and disrupt the economy. The command said it had deployed additional personnel to the highway to ensure the free flow of traffic and to protect road users. It urged residents to use lawful means to express their grievances, including engaging with traditional rulers, local government authorities and security agencies, rather than resorting to actions that could harm innocent people. “We understand the frustration of the people, but blocking the highway is not the solution. It will only compound the problem. We advise anyone with grievances to channel them through the appropriate authorities,” the spokesperson said.
The warning has drawn mixed reactions. Traders and transport operators who depend on the highway for their livelihoods welcomed the police position, saying a blockade would worsen their economic hardship. “We have suffered enough from bandits. If they block the road, how will we transport our goods? How will our customers travel? The police are right to warn against it,” said Alhaji Musa Garba, a grain merchant in Birnin Kebbi. Community leaders in some affected areas, however, said the police should focus on stopping the bandits rather than threatening protesters. “We are not the enemy. The bandits are the enemy. The police should go after them and leave us alone,” said a community leader in Yauri who asked not to be named. The police have not responded to that criticism.
The political context of the warning is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. Security has emerged as one of the central issues in the campaign, and the conduct of security agencies will be closely scrutinised. The Federal Government has consistently pointed to the expansion of military formations and the operational successes of security agencies as evidence of its commitment to addressing insecurity. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is seeking a second term on the All Progressives Congress platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. The police warning is a reminder that the security environment in the North-West remains volatile, and that the government’s ability to protect highways and communities will be tested in the months ahead.
For the people of Kebbi and Sokoto states, the warning is a reminder that the highway they depend on remains both a lifeline and a danger zone. For the police, it is an opportunity to assert control over a road that has been repeatedly targeted by criminals. For the protesters whose plans prompted the warning, it is a signal that the authorities will not allow them to shut down the road. The coming days will determine whether the warning is heeded or whether the tension escalates into a confrontation. As the police put it, anyone found disrupting traffic will face the full weight of the law. The highway, for now, remains open, but the grievances that prompted the planned blockade remain unresolved.
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