Fear and confusion spread rapidly across parts of eastern Sokoto as residents abandoned their homes following renewed violence linked to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, whose fighters reportedly swept through rural settlements overnight.
Accounts from affected locals indicate that Tidibale village descended into chaos after heavily armed men invaded the community, triggering a mass flight as families escaped under the cover of darkness to nearby areas considered relatively safer.
Moreover, visual evidence circulating from the scene showed villagers hurriedly leaving their houses, with women and children trekking long distances in panic, suggesting that the attack was both sudden and overwhelming.
Security intelligence updates from Bakatsine, a community-driven early warning platform, revealed that the assault was not an isolated incident.
According to the alert, the violence forms part of a calculated move to extend Turji’s influence across Sokoto’s eastern corridor.
“Available intelligence points to a deliberate effort to overrun key rural communities and assert control,” a security source familiar with the situation said, adding that the pattern mirrors earlier attacks in the area.
Furthermore, Bargaja village, also within Isa Local Government Area, was reportedly attacked days earlier, reinforcing concerns that armed groups are advancing gradually while residents are left exposed.
Despite ongoing claims by authorities that security has improved, communities across Sokoto State continue to face raids, kidnappings, and forced displacement tied to bandit networks operating across state borders.
“This is no longer about isolated attacks; entire villages are being emptied,” a local community leader said, warning that residents now live with constant fear of sudden invasion.
However, as of the time of filing this report, neither the Sokoto State Government nor security agencies had issued an official response to the latest incidents.
Meanwhile, public anxiety is deepening as displaced villagers move openly along major routes, while armed groups reportedly consolidate control over deserted settlements, raising serious questions about the effectiveness and presence of security forces in the region.
AFRIPOST reports that the continued displacement of civilians without immediate protection risks turning affected communities into permanent conflict zones, further destabilising Sokoto’s already fragile rural areas.