Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has assured residents that his administration will sustain its efforts to combat banditry and create the conditions necessary for internally displaced persons to return safely to their ancestral communities.
Aliyu gave the assurance while declaring open the eighth regular meeting of the Sokoto State Executive Council, saying the government had adopted a more robust approach to tackling insecurity in collaboration with conventional security agencies.
The governor said the strategy was beginning to produce results, with security forces increasingly engaging bandits, rescuing people from captivity and recovering livestock allegedly rustled by criminal groups.
“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 specifically cited recent operations in Rabah, Tureta and Kebbe Local Government Areas, where he said security personnel had engaged bandits, rescued victims and recovered thousands of rustled livestock.
Aliyu said the state government would continue providing operational support to security agencies, including armoured vehicles and other equipment, to strengthen their capacity to protect rural communities and pursue armed groups.
He said the objective was not only to contain attacks but also to restore sufficient security for displaced residents to return to their homes.
The governor urged residents to continue supporting government and security agencies by providing credible information that could assist ongoing operations.
The latest assurance comes amid continuing security challenges in parts of Sokoto State. Government officials said earlier this week that security operations since 2024 had contributed to the rescue of 153 kidnapped victims across the state.
According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, retired Colonel Ahmed Usman, 20 victims were rescued in 2024, 63 in 2025 and another 70 between January and September 2026.
Usman said the state government had provided more than 200 operational vehicles to security agencies across its 23 local government areas, alongside tactical equipment and improved operational support for personnel.
He said a recent intervention included 62 operational vehicles and security equipment valued at N27.127bn, comprising armoured vehicles, motorcycles, bulletproof vests and helmets, as well as night-vision and thermal devices.
The government also said it had supported the construction of military and police barracks in Illela and Tangaza and strengthened security communications and surveillance.
Community-based security structures have also been established, including the Sokoto State Community Guards Corps, while 1,550 operatives of the Sokoto Marshals Agency have reportedly graduated.
Usman further cited security operations conducted on September 20, during which 23 kidnapped civilians were rescued and four suspected members of the Lakurawa group were arrested in separate operations across parts of Sokoto.
Despite the reported gains, the security adviser acknowledged that challenges remained, particularly in some parts of eastern and southern Sokoto.
The government has therefore maintained that sustained cooperation among security agencies, traditional institutions, community leaders and residents would be necessary to address the problem.
The governor also linked improved security to broader development, saying his administration would continue implementing projects in healthcare, education, roads, water supply, religious affairs and economic empowerment.
Aliyu said restoring security in rural communities remained important to the administration’s wider development agenda because residents displaced by violence would need to return before normal economic and social activities could fully resume.
The governor’s latest commitment follows an earlier assurance in April that displaced residents would be able to return to their communities as security operations improved. At the time, he said the fight against banditry remained a major priority of his administration.
For communities affected by repeated attacks, the success of the government’s strategy will ultimately depend on sustained security operations and the ability to keep returning residents safe after their resettlement.
Aliyu appealed for continued public support and prayers as the government and security agencies work towards restoring lasting peace across Sokoto State.
