Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu has vowed to sustain the fight against banditry until communities affected by insecurity are safe and internally displaced persons can return to their ancestral homes.
Aliyu made the commitment on Thursday while declaring open the eighth regular meeting of the State Executive Council, according to a statement issued by Abubakar Bawa, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto.
The governor said his administration was intensifying collaboration with conventional security agencies through what he described as a more robust strategy against banditry, adding that the approach was beginning to produce positive results across the state.
“We are recording tremendous improvement in our fight against banditry in the state, and we will not relent until we make the state safer,” Aliyu said.
He said security agencies were increasingly engaging bandits in affected areas, while some livestock stolen during attacks had also been recovered.
“Our collaboration with security agencies is indeed yielding tangible results, as bandits are now being engaged more than ever before, while livestock are being recovered in some local government areas,” he added.
Aliyu cited recent operations in Rabah, Tureta and Kebbe Local Government Areas as examples of progress recorded in the fight against insecurity.
According to the governor, security personnel had engaged bandits, rescued people from captivity and recovered thousands of livestock allegedly rustled during attacks in the affected areas.
He said the state government would continue to provide support to security agencies, particularly through the provision of equipment needed to improve their operational capacity.
Aliyu said the deployment of new armoured vehicles and other hardware would enable security personnel to intensify operations against bandits and improve security in rural communities.
The governor assured residents in areas worst affected by banditry that his administration would not abandon them, stressing that the objective remained to make their communities safe enough for displaced residents to return.
He also restated the government’s commitment to providing the necessary support to security agencies to protect the lives and property of residents.
Aliyu appealed to residents to continue supporting security agencies and the government by providing useful information and cooperating with ongoing efforts to restore peace.
He said the fight against banditry required cooperation among the government, security agencies and communities affected by the crisis.
Beyond security, Aliyu said his administration would continue implementing projects with direct benefits to residents in line with its nine-point development agenda.
He listed healthcare, education, road infrastructure, water supply, religious affairs and empowerment programmes among the areas in which the government had continued to execute projects during the last three and a half years.
The governor said the administration remained focused on improving living conditions and delivering what he described as dividends of democracy to residents across the state.
“We are committed to achieving our dream of a New Sokoto that generations yet unborn will be proud of,” Aliyu said.
He subsequently sought the continued support and prayers of residents for the realisation of the administration’s development objectives.
The governor’s comments came against the backdrop of continuing security challenges in parts of the state, where bandit attacks have displaced communities and disrupted farming and other economic activities.
The emphasis on returning internally displaced persons to their ancestral communities also highlights the connection between security operations and the restoration of livelihoods in affected rural areas.
For communities displaced by attacks, a return to their ancestral homes would require not only improved security but also the restoration of access to farms, markets, schools, healthcare facilities and other essential services.
The recovery of livestock mentioned by the governor also has economic significance in communities where livestock production and agriculture provide important sources of livelihood.
Aliyu’s commitment to continued security support therefore places the protection of rural communities alongside the broader challenge of restoring economic and social activities disrupted by banditry.
The governor’s appeal for greater cooperation from residents also underscores the role of communities in providing timely and credible information to security agencies as operations against banditry continue.
West Trybe reports that Sokoto remains among the states affected by persistent bandit attacks, with insecurity disrupting rural communities, farming, livestock activities and population movement. Sustained security operations, recovery of stolen livestock and the safe return of displaced residents remain important to restoring normal social and economic activities in affected communities.
