‘Seven Years Of Bandit Attacks’: Sokoto IDPs Lament Lost Farms As Woman Gives Birth On Road, Begs For Baby’s Wrapper

….Displaced Villagers Lament Killings, Burnt Homes, Stolen Livestock As Bandits Force Families Into School Shelters.

….Seven Years Of insecurity Leave Farmers Without Harvests As Displaced Residents Struggle For Food, Shelter, Medical Care

Displaced residents of parts of Sokoto State have recounted harrowing experiences of years of bandit attacks, killings and destruction of livelihoods, with one woman revealing that she gave birth on the road while fleeing the assailants and was left without even a wrapper to carry her newborn baby.

The victims, from communities in Tambuwal, Shagari and surrounding areas, said persistent attacks had forced them to abandon their ancestral homes, farmlands and livestock, leaving many families struggling to survive in temporary shelters.

They appealed to President Bola Tinubu’s government and the Sokoto State Government to intensify security operations against the armed bandits, insisting that their greatest desire was to return home and resume their normal lives.

The displaced residents spoke in Hausa during interviews with Iconic FM Nigeria at temporary shelters in Jabo town, where several families have sought refuge in school buildings and other locations after fleeing renewed attacks on their communities.

For some, the displacement has lasted months, while others say insecurity has disrupted their lives for years, destroyed their sources of income and left them increasingly dependent on assistance from sympathisers.

An elderly displaced resident, Magaji Abdullahi, said the crisis had entered its seventh year, with residents unable to farm consistently because of the danger posed by armed men operating around their communities.

He lamented that the attackers had killed residents and carted away livestock, including camels, cattle, donkeys, goats and poultry, while forcing families to abandon their homes.

“What drove us away was the bandits. They chased us out of our villages in the bush, and we came here to seek refuge so that we could live in peace. The bandits are still in our communities,” he said.

“They have caused a lot of destruction and killed many people. They took away a lot of our property, including camels, cattle, donkeys, goats and chickens. They took everything.”

Abdullahi said the prolonged insecurity had destroyed the agricultural activities that once sustained families across the affected communities, leaving many unable to produce food for their households.

He explained that residents could no longer safely access their farmlands because many of the farms were located in areas where bandits operated.

Even the little crops some residents managed to plant had reportedly been destroyed, further worsening food shortages among displaced households.

“We are now in the seventh year of this problem, but we have not been able to carry out our farming activities as we used to. We cannot store food for our families because we cannot farm,” he said.

“Our farms are in the bush, and the bandits have made it impossible for us to work there. Even the little crops we managed to plant have been destroyed. There is no farming and no harvest.”

With their livelihoods disrupted, Abdullahi said many displaced families had been reduced to depending on occasional financial assistance from individuals who sympathised with their plight.

The money, he explained, was often used to purchase maize and other basic food items, but the assistance was insufficient to meet the needs of families living in the temporary shelters.

“We manage to get a little money from people who help us, and we use it to buy maize to eat. That is how we are surviving despite the hardship,” he said.

He appealed to the government to prioritise security and food assistance, stressing that the displaced families had lost the means to provide for themselves.

“What we want from the government is, first, security and peace. Secondly, we need food for our families because, honestly, we have nothing to eat,” he added.

The suffering has been particularly severe for women, children and other vulnerable residents forced to flee their communities without adequate clothing, shelter, food or access to healthcare.

One displaced woman recounted how she went into labour while escaping from the attackers, giving birth by the roadside under circumstances that left her struggling to care for her newborn.

She said the attacks had destroyed homes, stripped families of their possessions and forced residents to flee without the basic necessities needed to survive.

“When they entered our village, they burnt our homes. They took everything, including our belongings and livestock. They seized our chickens and other animals and drove us away,” she said.

The woman lamented that the repeated attacks had made it impossible for residents to live peacefully in their communities, as families remained afraid of fresh invasions.

Her own experience, however, illustrated the extreme hardship faced by displaced mothers.

“We are here suffering. Even I had to give birth on the road while fleeing. They did not leave me with even a wrapper to carry my baby,” she said.

The account highlights the dangers confronting pregnant women and newborns when insecurity forces families to flee without access to safe transport, medical assistance and essential maternal care.

The woman also expressed concern over the difficulties displaced residents face in accessing healthcare, particularly when their children fall ill.

According to her, the cost of treatment has become another burden for families already deprived of their homes and livelihoods.

“Even when people need to go to the hospital, they face difficulties. You have to pay money before you can receive treatment for your child. Those who need medical attention cannot get it easily because they must pay before they are attended to,” she said.

Her account underscores the multiple challenges facing displaced families, who must contend not only with the threat of violence but also with shortages of food, clothing, shelter and access to medical services.

Bandits Strike Repeatedly, Villagers Flee

Another elderly displaced resident described a series of attacks on his community, saying the repeated assaults had left residents unable to predict when the assailants would strike again.

He recounted that the attackers invaded the village on a Friday, forcing some residents to flee. They reportedly returned early on Sunday and killed another person before launching a fresh attack on Tuesday.

The sequence of attacks, he said, left residents terrified and convinced that remaining in their homes was increasingly dangerous.

“On Friday, they entered our village, and some of us fled. After we escaped on Friday, they returned early on Sunday and killed someone. They came back again on Tuesday and killed another person,” he said.

The resident lamented that the violence had deprived villagers of any sense of safety, forcing members of the same community to scatter across different settlements in search of refuge.

“You can see that there is no place in this area where people can feel safe. They have taken our property and killed our people,” he said.

He also described the destruction of agricultural livelihoods, saying crops had been lost and farming activities disrupted.

According to him, livestock had entered some farms and consumed millet planted by residents, further compounding the difficulties confronting families who were already struggling to recover from the attacks.

“We are now scattered in different places. Some of our people are in Jabo, others are in Kajiji, while some are in Shagari. That is how our people are living now,” he said.

The displacement has separated residents from their homes, farms and other sources of livelihood, leaving many uncertain about when they would be able to return.

For the displaced residents, the demand for improved security remains central to their appeals to the authorities.

One of the victims said he had spent about two weeks at the temporary shelter after fleeing his community, where bandit attacks had made farming and other economic activities increasingly difficult.

He said residents across the Duchi area and neighbouring settlements had been unable to cultivate their farms because of the persistent security threats.

“No one has been able to farm in our communities because of the bandits. Across the affected areas, people have been unable to carry out their usual farming activities,” he said.

“From the Duchi area to other nearby communities, no one has been able to farm. People are struggling just to find something to eat.”

The resident complained that the assistance available to displaced families was inadequate, particularly in the areas of security and humanitarian support.

He said living in a temporary shelter could not replace the security, dignity and independence that residents enjoyed in their homes before the attacks.

“We are living in hardship here because there is nothing like being in your own home. The government has not provided us with the kind of assistance we need,” he said.

“We do not have adequate security or other forms of support. We are simply trying to survive with whatever little we can find.”

He urged the authorities to take decisive action against the armed bandits, insisting that the displaced families were not demanding material possessions but the opportunity to return to their communities without fear.

“What we want from the government is for it to help us drive these bandits away so that we can return to our homes and live with our families,” he said.

“We have no other demands. We are not asking the government to bring us anything or do anything else for us. All we want is for the bandits to be driven away so that we can stay in our homes.”

Farming Crisis Deepens Humanitarian Concerns

The accounts from the displaced residents point to a deepening humanitarian challenge in rural communities where farming and livestock rearing are major sources of livelihood.

Beyond the reported killings, destruction of homes and loss of animals, the inability to access farmlands has deprived many households of their principal means of producing food and earning an income.

For families who depend on seasonal harvests, prolonged displacement threatens not only their immediate food supply but also their ability to rebuild their livelihoods.

The loss of livestock has compounded the problem, as animals previously used for household income and sustenance have reportedly been seized during attacks.

Meanwhile, families sheltering in school buildings and other temporary locations face difficult living conditions, with some relying on relatives, well-wishers and occasional financial assistance to meet their daily needs.

The accounts also raise concerns about the welfare of children, pregnant women, newborns and sick residents who may require urgent medical attention but struggle to afford treatment.

Residents said the consequences of the violence had extended beyond individual villages, with communities in parts of Tambuwal and Shagari among those affected by repeated attacks and displacement.

Despite government assurances that efforts are being made to restore peace, the victims said fear of further attacks continued to prevent many families from returning to their ancestral homes.

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