Rabah Attacks: Dan’iya Accuses Government of Failing to Protect Sokoto Residents
By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi
The African Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has condemned the recent killings and abductions in Rabah Local Government Area, accusing the government of failing in its responsibility to protect lives and property.
Dan’iya, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, described the latest attacks as a dangerous deterioration of the security situation in Rabah.
He said the reported killing of a mother and her son, alongside 10 other residents, and the abduction of about 40 people on Sunday, was deeply disturbing.
The ADC candidate also cited an attack on Tofa village, where seven people were reportedly killed and 12 others abducted.
Dan’iya questioned how many more lives would be lost before the authorities acknowledged the seriousness of the security situation in Sokoto.
“How many more people must be killed or abducted before the APC governments admit that Sokoto has a serious security emergency?” he asked.
He said the recurring attacks had created a sharp contrast between official assurances of improved security and the experiences of residents in rural communities.
Rabah has remained one of the areas affected by suspected bandit attacks, with communities experiencing killings, kidnappings and the rustling of livestock.
Police had earlier confirmed an attack on Mallamawar Yari village in March, in which one person was killed and five others abducted. In June, another attack reportedly claimed the lives of four farmers, while 12 others were taken hostage.
Reacting to the situation, Dan’iya said government security interventions would only be meaningful if they resulted in improved protection for vulnerable communities.
The Sokoto State Government recently approved N1.75 billion for the purchase of 1,000 motorcycles for security agencies as part of measures to strengthen security operations.
Dan’iya, however, said residents needed more than announcements and financial interventions.
“The people of Rabah do not need another press statement. They need security personnel, intelligence, rapid response and the confidence to sleep in their homes without fearing that armed men will arrive in the night” he said.
He called for better coordination among security agencies and stronger accountability in the state’s security system, saying the scale of banditry required sustained and coordinated action.
The ADC candidate further appealed to the Federal Government to intensify military and security operations against criminal groups operating across the North West.
He said continued killings, kidnappings and displacement of residents could not be addressed through intermittent operations and official assurances alone.
“When citizens are being killed and abducted, demanding accountability is not politicising insecurity. When communities are attacked repeatedly, asking government to protect them is not politics” Dan’iya stated.
He urged the Federal and Sokoto State governments, as well as security agencies, to strengthen intelligence gathering, intensify operations, rescue abducted victims and ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attacks.
Dan’iya expressed sympathy to the families of those killed and prayed for the safe release of the abducted residents.
He also commended security personnel for their efforts in confronting banditry, promising that his administration, if elected in 2027, would make the protection of lives and property a priority.
He said his proposed approach would focus on improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency coordination and sustained operations against criminal networks.
“Sokoto must not become a place where people are killed today, mourned tomorrow and forgotten the day after. Every life lost is a failure that government must answer for” he said.
