ADC Guber Candidate Dan’iya Slams Gov Aliyu as Bandits Kill 10, Kidnap 40 in Fresh Sokoto Bloodbath

The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Sokoto State governorship seat, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has called for urgent, decisive security intervention following fresh bandit attacks in Rabah Local Government Area that left at least 10 people dead and dozens of villagers in captivity.

The assault targeted the agrarian community of Tofa and surrounding hamlets, where armed marauders invaded in large numbers, killing residents—including a mother and her young son—before rounding up an estimated 40 villagers into the surrounding forests. The attack follows a string of deadly raids in the area, coming just weeks after seven people were murdered and a dozen others kidnapped in another violent breach within the same council boundaries.

Reacting to the tragedy in a statement released through his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan’iya expressed outrage over the deteriorating safety conditions across rural Sokoto, describing the incident as undeniable proof of a widening gulf between official assurances and the daily terror confronting rural households.

Questioning the authorities’ handling of the crisis, the former deputy governor asked how many more innocent lives must be cut short or driven into the bush before the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration formally acknowledges that the state is facing a full-scale security emergency.

Dan’iya stressed that rural communities cannot defend themselves with official rhetoric or condolences. He pointed out that while the state government recently announced the expenditure of ₦1.75 billion to acquire 1,000 operational motorcycles for security formations, such financial interventions must produce tangible, life-saving outcomes on the ground. He argued that villagers in Rabah do not need press releases; they need tactical personnel, functional intelligence networks, rapid-response backup, and the basic confidence to sleep in their homes without dreading midnight raids by heavily armed gangs.

Rejecting suggestions from official quarters that opposition criticism amounts to exploiting national security for partisan advantage, Dan’iya maintained that holding leaders accountable is a fundamental civic obligation. He noted that when entire villages are repeatedly subjected to killings, mass abductions, and forced extortion, demanding that the state perform its primary constitutional role is not politicking.

The ADC flagbearer called on the Federal Government, the Sokoto State Government, and security chiefs to step up joint intelligence-driven operations to hunt down the perpetrators, rescue the abducted residents unharmed, and establish permanent security outposts in flashpoint communities.

Reaffirming his policy focus ahead of the 2027 elections, Dan’iya promised that an ADC administration would prioritize modern surveillance, institutional coordination, and community-level protection. He concluded with a warning against institutional complacency, insisting that Sokoto must never become a place where citizens are killed today, mourned tomorrow, and discarded from memory the day after.