Kebbe Residents Demand Right to Bear Arms as Bandit Attacks Escalate in Sokoto

Amid escalating attacks by suspected Lakurawa bandits, residents of Kebbe Local Government Area in Sokoto State have appealed to the Federal Government to grant them permission to bear sophisticated weapons for self-defence.

The residents made the appeal during a press conference held on Saturday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Sokoto, lamenting that their communities are under constant siege from violent attacks.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Alhaji Adamu Kebbe accused both state and local authorities of neglecting their responsibility to protect citizens, saying the government’s response to the crisis has been slow and inadequate.

> “We can no longer sleep with our two eyes closed. Our people are being killed daily, our homes destroyed, and the government is doing little to protect us,” one of the residents, Haruna, said emotionally.



The group also called on the Federal Government to provide direct funding to local governments, enabling them to strengthen local security outfits and respond swiftly to attacks.

Sokoto State has been one of the epicentres of banditry in northern Nigeria, with criminal gangs such as the Lakurawa faction and the group led by Bello Turji unleashing deadly violence across Isa, Sabon Birni, and Kebbe LGAs.

Although the state government has acknowledged the worsening insecurity, residents argue that its measures have fallen short of providing real protection.

Security analysts say the renewed demand for self-defence rights underscores the growing loss of faith in state protection and the urgent need for a decisive federal intervention.

> “If the government cannot protect us, then we must be allowed to protect ourselves,” another resident declared.



In a related development, youths in Shagari Local Government Area had in September 2025 also threatened to take up arms following repeated bandit attacks and kidnappings that have crippled farming and displaced families.

Former Governor Aminu Tambuwal has since urged the Federal Government to deploy more forces to the state to contain the growing insecurity.

Meanwhile, the lingering violence has worsened humanitarian conditions across Sokoto, with displaced residents facing outbreaks of cholera and other health crises in temporary camps.