In a significant development, residents of Gobir in Sokoto State have taken the fight against bandits into their own hands.
Frustrated by the lack of effective protection from security forces, they have mobilized in large numbers to search the surrounding forests for 150 people who were abducted by the criminals.
The unrest was triggered by the horrific murder of Alhaji Isa Muhammad Bawa, the Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa District, who was kidnapped, tortured, and killed by bandits on August 21, 2024. This tragedy was compounded when the bandits reportedly abducted over 150 mourners in Gobir shortly after.
Despite official statements from Nigerian police denying the scale of the abductions, viral videos have surfaced showing the resolute residents marching into the forests, chanting war cries, and pledging, “It’s a fight to finish! It’s either us or them, no going back.”
Watch the video below:
