Residents of Tambuwal Local Government Area in Sokoto State took to the streets on Friday to protest repeated attacks, kidnappings and a security situation they say now threatens lives, farms and trade.
The demonstration drew people from parts of the council area after a run of raids and abductions around vulnerable communities. Protesters asked the Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government to act with urgency.
They said farmers, traders and rural households can no longer move freely to fields and markets. They want more personnel and equipment in exposed settlements, tighter patrols and intelligence-led work, and closer cooperation among the army, police and other agencies so that those responsible can be found and confidence restored.
They warned that the pattern could cut agricultural output and push people off their land. The Sokoto State Police Command said it was aware of the situation. Public Relations Officer Deputy Superintendent of Police Ahmad Rufai said operatives were “on top of the situation,” monitoring events and taking steps to protect lives and property.
Assurance without a quieter week will not end a protest of this kind. Tambuwal sits in a North-West belt where banditry and kidnapping have already emptied some villages and shrunk planting seasons. Residents are measuring success the only way they can: whether they can sleep, farm and go to market without calculating the risk of not coming home.
Extra patrols matter if they are sustained. A statement that police are “on top” matters only if the next attack does not arrive before the next meeting. The street has named the demand. The test is whether the next harvest is gathered in the same fields or abandoned for somewhere that feels less exposed.
