2.3.6. Sokoto

Table of contents

2.3.6. Sokoto

Sokoto state is comprised of the following 23 LGAs: Binji, Bodinga, Dange Shuni, Gada, Goronyo, Gudu, Gwadabawa, Illela, Isa, Kebbe, Kware, Rabah, Sabon Birni, Shagari, Silame, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Tambuwal, Tangaza, Tureta, Wamako, Wurno, Yabo. The capital city is Sokoto.1143

The majority of the population are Hausa people,1144 followed by Fulanis. There are also Zabarmawa, Tuareg and Dakarki minorities in Sokoto state.1145 Most of the residents are Sunni Muslims, with a Shia minority.1146

UNFPA and the US Census Bureau projected the state’s population at 6 391 047 in 2022, based on figures from the 2006 census.1147

a) Conflict dynamics and main actors

For a general overview on actors in Nigeria, please see section 1.1 Main Actors.

As of July 2024, households in Sokoto state had been severely affected by farmer-herder conflict, abductions, and banditry.1148 Sokoto was considered to be one of the three states in the North-West most affected by banditry,1149 with bandit groups having established bases in remote areas.1150

During the reference period, attacks1151 and abductions, including mass abductions,1152 as well as arson and cattle rustling1153 by armed men and bandit groups1154 such as Lakurawa were reported in Sokoto state. Some of these attacks led to civilian deaths.1155 In 2024, abductions in Sokoto state reportedly increased by 108 % compared to the foregoing 4-year average.1156 Between July 2023 and June 2024, Sokoto state experienced 67 of the country's 1 130 abduction incidents and accounted for 487 of the 7 568 victims.1157 Armed groups reportedly also pressured individuals into paying taxes by threatening to kill them.1158 Lakurawa emerged in north-western Sokoto state in September 2024,1159 with authorities acknowledging their existence in Nigeria for the first time in November 2024, noting that it has a headquarters in Sokoto state.1160 However, displaced residents of northern Sokoto state had reported Lakurawa activity there since 2018.1161 Furthermore, the UK FCDO stated that attacks likely associated with ‘terrorist groups’, such as Boko Haram, had occurred in several Nigerian states, including Sokoto, since 2021.1162

A government airstrike in December 2024 in Silame LGA targeting armed groups reportedly killed ten villagers.1163

Vigilante forces reportedly also existed in Sokoto state during the reference period.1164

b) Security incidents and impact on the population

For the period between 1 January 2024 and 31 August 2025, ACLED recorded 299 security incidents (defined as battles, explosions/remote violence, violence against civilians, and riots) in Sokoto state, which resulted in 550 fatalities. Of these incidents, 215 were coded as incidents of violence against civilians, 74 were coded as battles, 5 as explosions/remote violence, and 5 as riots.1165

Imported image pandoc_image_22.png

Figure 10: Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence, riots, and violence against civilians in Sokoto state, 1 January 2024 – 31 August 2025, based on ACLED data.1166

Security incidents were recorded by ACLED in 21 LGAs of the state, with the highest number documented in Sabon Birni (102), followed by Isa (39), Tangaza (23), Goronyo (20 incidents), and Rabah (19). No incidents were recorded in two LGAs. According to ACLED, Sokoto communal militia (coded as either ‘Actor 1’ or ‘Actor 2’) were involved in the majority of incidents coded as violence against civilians.1167

On 2 July 2025, an incident of armed banditry and abduction in Tangaza LGA affected over 500 persons and led to 50 casualties.1168 Between 2 and 3 June 2025, several bandit attacks involving abductions occurred in a number of locations in Isa LGA affecting around 18 500 persons.1169 In March 2024, at least 15 pupils were abducted by bandits from a boarding school in Gidan Bakuso hamlet while they were asleep.1170

Conflict-related infrastructure damage - Reports indicated that schools in Sokoto state had been closed or temporarily closed due to banditry.1171

Road security - Criminal groups in Sokoto state were reportedly engaging in grand larceny along major highways.1172 FEWS NET reported in July 2024 that bandits had intensified attacks along the Sokoto-Gusau road by mounting illegal checkpoints and abducting travellers.1173

Displacement, movement and return - IOM noted that the crisis in north-western Nigeria has accelerated in recent years, resulting in widespread displacement across the region.1174 As of February 2025, IOM estimated the number of IDPs in Sokoto state at 99 7291175 compared to 96 232 as of November 2024. IOM lists armed banditry/kidnapping (81 %), insurgency (10 %), disaster (8 %), and communal clashes (1 %) as the main reasons for displacement in the state.1176 The IMDC reported 295 000 cases of internal displacements resulting from conflict and violence in Nigeria in 2024, of which almost 123 000 occurred in three north-western states, including Sokoto.1177 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies in October 2024 attributed 87 % of displacements in Sokoto state to criminal group activity.1178 Mass displacement in Sokoto state as a result of bandit attacks was reported for example in several locations of Isa LGA,1179 as well as in Shagari,1180 Rabah,1181 and Tangaza LGAs.1182

No information could be found on returns in Sokoto state during the reference period.

c) State response in maintaining law and order

Government operations against armed groups, such as operations targeting Lakurawa,1183 including an airstrike in December 2024 in Silame LGA,1184 were reported in Sokoto state during the reference period.1185 In early September 2025, security forces reportedly rescued nine abduction victims in an operation in Sokoto state.1186

In October 2024, it was reported that some villages in Sokoto had lost confidence in the government’s ability to protect them and were paying criminal groups for protection, otherwise facing attacks1187 and abductions.1188 In July 2024, residents of the Lambar-Tureta area protested against the withdrawal of army officers protecting the area, fearing that the withdrawal at a time of intensified terrorist attacks would make them a lot more vulnerable.1189

  • 1143

    Nigeria, Federal Government of Nigeria, States, Sokoto, n.d., url

  • 1144

    Nigeria, Federal Government of Nigeria, States, Sokoto, n.d., url

  • 1145

    ZODML, Sokoto, n.d., url

  • 1146

    Nigeria, Sokoto, n.d., url; ZODML, Sokoto, n.d., url

  • 1147

    UNFPA and US Census Bureau, Nigeria - Subnational Population Statistics, 2022, modified 11 September 2024, url

  • 1148

    FEWS NET, Nigeria Food Security Outlook, June 2024 - January 2025, 9 July 2024, url, p. 12

  • 1149

    Kleffmann, J. et al., Banditry Violence in Nigeria's North West: Insights from Affected Communities, Findings Report 36, UNIDIR, July 2024, url, p. 10

  • 1150

    Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Violent Criminal Gangs Displace and Disrupt North West Nigeria, 21 October 2024, url, p. 4

  • 1151

    Amnesty International: Nigeria: Mounting death toll and looming humanitarian crisis, 29 May 2025, url

  • 1152

    International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url; HumAngle, Terrorists Abduct 70 Farmers In Nigeria’s Sokoto Amid Rising Food Insecurity, 15 June 2024, url; GI-TOC, What does the recent escalation of mass abductions in Nigeria tell us?, 15 March 2024, url

  • 1153

    HumAngle, No Simple Way Home: Displaced Sokoto Residents Driven To Despair And Frustration, 4 May 2024, url

  • 1154

    Nation (The), 2025 Outlook – National Security: Prospects, challenges, emerging threats, 5 January 2025, url; FEWS NET, Nigeria Food Security Outlook, June 2024 - January 2025, 9 July 2024, url, p. 4

  • 1155

    International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url

  • 1156

    ORFA, The Illusion of Progress: Mapping Nigeria’s Deteriorating Security Landscape, 29 May 2025, url

  • 1157

    SBM Intelligence, Grim Reaping: Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry–A 2024 Update, 29 August 2024, url

  • 1158

    Amnesty International, Nigeria: Mounting death toll and looming humanitarian crisis amid unchecked attacks by armed groups, 29 May 2025, url

  • 1159

    UN Security Council, Letter dated 6 February 2025 from the President of the Security Council acting in the absence of a Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council [containing thirty-fifth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to resolution 2734 (2024) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2025/71/Rev.1, 6 February 2025, url, para. 21

  • 1160

    Al Jazeera, Lakurawa, the new armed group wreaking havoc on the Nigeria-Niger border, 10 January 2025, url

  • 1161

    SBM Intelligence, Lakurawa, the not-so-new sheriffs in town, 14 November 2024, url

  • 1162

    UK, FCDO, Foreign travel advice – Nigeria, n.d., url

  • 1163

    Amnesty International, The State of the World's Human Rights, Nigeria 2024, 29 April 2025, url; Daily Trust, Airstrike kills 10 Sokoto villagers, 26 December 2024, url

  • 1164

    International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url; Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Violent Criminal Gangs Displace and Disrupt North West Nigeria, 21 October 2024, url, p. 8

  • 1165

    EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url

  • 1166

    EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url

  • 1167

    EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url

  • 1168

    IOM, Flash Report 233 – Population displacement: North-west Nigeria – Sokoto State - Conflict/Violence, 8 July 2025, url

  • 1169

    IOM, Flash report – Population displacement: North-west Nigeria – Sokoto state - Conflict/Violence, 5 June 2025, url

  • 1170

    HRW, World Report 2025 - Nigeria, 16 January 2025, url

  • 1171

    Kleffmann, J. et al., Banditry Violence in Nigeria's North West: Insights from Affected Communities, Findings Report 36, UNIDIR, July 2024, url, p. 30

  • 1172

    IOM, Flash report – Population displacement: North-west Nigeria – Sokoto state - Conflict/Violence, 5 June 2025, url

  • 1173

    FEWS NET, Nigeria Food Security Outlook, June 2024 - January 2025, 9 July 2024, url, p. 4

  • 1174

    IOM, Flash report – Population displacement: North-west Nigeria – Sokoto state - Conflict/Violence, 5 June 2025, url

  • 1175

    As of 1 August 2025, UNHCR mentions the same IDP numbers. UNHCR, Nigeria – Forcibly Displaced Populations, 13 August 2025, url

  • 1176

    IOM, Nigeria — North-Central and North-West — Round 16 IDP Atlas (February 2025), 18 March 2025, url, pp. 6, 10

  • 1177

    IDMC, GRID 2025, Global Report on Internal Displacement, 2025, url, p. 31

  • 1178

    Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Violent Criminal Gangs Displace and Disrupt North West Nigeria, 21 October 2024, url, p. 6

  • 1179

    IOM, Flash report – Population displacement: North-west Nigeria – Sokoto state - Conflict/Violence, 5 June 2025, url

  • 1180

    Punch, Sokoto residents seek help after bandits sack eight communities, 31 August 2025, url

  • 1181

    Daily Post, Over 150 residents displaced as bandits hit communities in Sokoto, 27 August 2025, url

  • 1182

    IOM, Flash Report 233 – Population displacement: North-west Nigeria – Sokoto State - Conflict/Violence, 9 July 2025, url

  • 1183

    Nigerian Tribune, Sokoto: Police arrest notorious bandit, recover ammunition, 17 July 2025, url; International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url; Nigeria Watch, Fourteenth report on violence in Nigeria 2024, 2025, url, p. 12

  • 1184

    Amnesty International, The State of the World's Human Rights, Nigeria 2024, 29 April 2025, url; Daily Trust, Airstrike kills 10 Sokoto villagers, 26 December 2024, url

  • 1185

    International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url; Nation (The), 2025 Outlook – National Security: Prospects, challenges, emerging threats, 5 January 2025, url

  • 1186

    Punch, Troops rescue nine kidnap victims, kill terrorists in Sokoto, 1 September 2025, url

  • 1187

    Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Violent Criminal Gangs Displace and

  • 1188

    HumAngle, Terrorists Abduct 70 Farmers In Nigeria’s Sokoto Amid Rising Food Insecurity, 15 June 2024, url

  • 1189

    HumAngle, Stray Bullets Hit Villagers Protesting Over Withdrawal Of Soldiers From Sokoto Community, 31 July 2024, url