Barely 48 Hours After Tinubu Leaves Nigeria, Bandits Strike Sokoto, Kano, Kill Farmers, APC Chairmanc
Barely 48 Hours After Tinubu Leaves Nigeria, Bandits Strike Sokoto, Kano, Kill Farmers, APC Chairman
By Akin Alade
Barely 48 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Nigeria for Europe on a three-week working vacation, fresh deadly attacks in Sokoto and Kano states have again thrown the country’s persistent security challenges into the spotlight, leaving farmers, a ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ward chairman and other residents dead.
The timing of the attacks is particularly disturbing, coming at a period when the Federal Government has intensified military operations against bandits and terrorists and President Tinubu has repeatedly directed security agencies to confront criminal groups threatening communities across the country.
Eight Farmers Killed in Sokoto Attack
In Sokoto State, no fewer than eight farmers were reportedly killed while five others sustained gunshot injuries after suspected bandits attacked Gandi community in Rabah Local Government Area.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, was described as a suspected retaliatory assault.
Spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, Ahmed Rufai, confirmed the incident, saying security authorities were assessing the situation and working to identify those responsible.
The latest bloodshed is troubling considering the importance of farmers to Nigeria’s food security. Persistent attacks on farming communities could discourage farmers from accessing their farmlands, further complicating efforts to increase agricultural production and reduce food prices.
Kano APC Ward Chairman Killed
The violence was not limited to Sokoto.
In Kano State, suspected hoodlums reportedly invaded Rantan community in Bebeji Local Government Area and killed the APC chairman of Rantan Ward, Garba Buba, alongside another resident identified as Sulaiman Zunduma.
Buba was reportedly shot inside his residence and later confirmed dead at the hospital, while Zunduma was said to have died at the scene.
Elsewhere in Kano, three people were also reported killed and five others injured following an attack on Chiromawa community in Garun Mallam Local Government Area.
The Kano State Police Command, however, recorded a breakthrough with the rescue of Sarkin Noman, Yusuf Nadabo, who had been abducted during the Chiromawa attack. He was reportedly reunited with his family unharmed.
Attacks Come Days After Major Military Offensive in Sokoto
Perhaps more concerning is that the Sokoto killings came shortly after troops launched a major offensive against suspected bandits in Rabah Local Government Area.
Security forces had reportedly killed scores of suspected bandits after Nigerian Army troops overran criminal positions around Maikujera in Rabah.
The military operation reportedly forced several fighters to abandon their positions and flee into surrounding forests and farmlands.
The latest attack on farmers in the same local government area therefore underlines the enormous challenge confronting security agencies: military victories must be followed by sustained intelligence gathering and security presence to prevent fleeing criminal elements from regrouping or carrying out retaliatory attacks.
Tinubu’s Security Chiefs Face Another Test
President Tinubu left Abuja on August 30 for Europe to begin a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave, with London as his first destination.
But governance and national security cannot go on vacation.
While the President’s physical presence outside the country does not remove the responsibilities or operational capacity of Nigeria’s security institutions, the fresh killings present another urgent test for the nation’s security chiefs.
The challenge before them is not simply to respond after communities have been attacked but to strengthen intelligence networks capable of identifying and disrupting criminal movements before innocent Nigerians are killed.
Nigeria has invested enormous resources in defence and security, and citizens understandably expect those investments to translate into greater safety in their farms, homes, highways and communities.
Farmers Must Be Protected
The killing of farmers should particularly worry a country battling high food prices and seeking greater agricultural productivity.
There can be no meaningful food-security programme if farmers are afraid to cultivate their land.
Protecting agricultural communities must therefore become a critical component of Nigeria’s national security strategy. Military offensives should be complemented by intelligence gathering, community policing, improved surveillance and stronger cooperation between conventional security forces and legitimate local security structures.
The killing of eight farmers in Sokoto, an APC ward chairman and other residents in Kano represents yet another reminder that the war against banditry is far from over.
The Tinubu administration and the nation’s security chiefs now face the responsibility of ensuring that recent military successes are converted into lasting security.
For families who have lost loved ones, statistics and promises will provide little consolation. What Nigerians increasingly demand is simple: the freedom to farm, travel, sleep and live without fear of armed criminals.
