A large-scale protest erupted in the Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday as citizens rallied against recent bandit incursions that resulted in numerous fatalities and widespread displacement. The demonstrators obstructed the Sokoto–Jega–Yauri highway, causing significant traffic delays by burning tires and logs to demand immediate government action against the growing insecurity.
During the unrest, some vehicles, including a Kebbi State Transport Authority bus, suffered damage before security forces intervened to reopen the road. The protest was triggered by Thursday’s coordinated attacks on several villages, where gunmen abducted residents and forced families to seek safety in public buildings and schools.
Witnesses from villages like Qyaula, Keloji, and Kulodo described the gunmen firing randomly as they raided communities from Thursday afternoon through early Friday morning. Local officials, including the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Tukur Bala Bodinga, and Representative Nasiru Shehu Bobo, visited the area to offer condolences and assure survivors that more security personnel are being deployed to stabilize the region.
Sokoto State Police spokesperson Ahmad Rufai confirmed the incidents, noting that security forces carried out intensive operations throughout the night to secure the area and clear the major transport corridor.
