Frustration is boiling over in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where youths say they are ready to defend themselves after months of unrelenting bandit attacks and kidnappings.
In a statement signed on Thursday, September 4, youth activist Bello Bala Shagari said an online meeting of young people from the area agreed that the government has failed in its duty to protect lives and property.
Shagari, who is a grandson of former President Shehu Shagari, described the decision as a last resort.
He explained that repeated attacks had forced families to flee, disrupted farming, and left communities in constant fear.
“The government has done little to protect us. We cannot sit idle while our people suffer. Self-defence may be our only remaining option,” he said.
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He added that while the youths would prefer peace, they could no longer watch “while lives were being lost, and property destroyed on a daily basis.”
The group called on the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government to immediately send more security forces to Shagari and neighbouring communities, stressing that concrete action was needed rather than empty promises.
In recent times, there have been growing calls for community self defence groups across the North-West, a move security analysts warn could fuel more violence.
Sokoto, like Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi, has endured years of abductions, killings, and raids despite military operations.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, say rural residents in the region continue to suffer extortion and brutal attacks, leaving many to question how long they can rely on government protection.