DIPLOMAN TIMES

Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu said his administration would sustain collaboration with security agencies against banditry while working towards the return of internally displaced residents to their ancestral communities.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu said Sokoto State would continue its security efforts against banditry until internally displaced persons are able to return to their ancestral homes. He made the statement while declaring open the eighth regular meeting of the State Executive Council on September 24, 2026. The governor described the security response as a continuing collaboration between the state government and conventional security agencies, with operations being directed at communities affected by banditry.

According to the governor, the state is using what he described as a more robust strategy and is recording improvement in the fight against armed groups. He said cooperation with security agencies had resulted in more frequent engagements with bandits and the recovery of livestock in some local government areas. These statements were presented by the governor as evidence of progress in the ongoing security campaign, while the underlying situation remains a continuing security concern for affected communities.

Aliyu cited recent operations in Rabah, Tureta and Kebbe Local Government Areas, where he said security agencies engaged bandits, rescued people from captivity and recovered thousands of rustled livestock. He also said the state had provided additional support, including new armoured vehicles and other equipment, to strengthen the capacity of security personnel operating in affected areas. The stated objective is to improve protection for lives and property while creating conditions in which rural communities can become safer.

The governor said his administration would continue providing support to security agencies and appealed to residents to cooperate with government efforts to restore peace. His comments also linked security conditions to the broader functioning of communities, particularly those affected by displacement. The proposed return of internally displaced persons therefore remains dependent on security conditions being sufficiently improved in affected locations and on the ability of returning residents to resume community life.

Beyond security operations, Aliyu said the government would continue implementing projects in healthcare, education, roads, water supply, religious affairs and empowerment programmes under its stated development agenda. Those claims were made by the governor in his address and describe the administration's wider priorities alongside the security response. The immediate position is that security operations remain ongoing, with the state government maintaining its stated objective of creating conditions for displaced residents to return home.