Claim: Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule claimed that Sokoto State is secure and that anyone claiming armed bandits operate in Sokoto is lying, citing his undisturbed road trip to Silame.
Verdict: Misleading. Security reports show that the governor’s assertion does not reflect the broader reality.
Full Text
During an official state visit to Sokoto on Sept. 2, 2026, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule addressed public and media accounts about insecurity in the state.
Speaking in Hausa during the commissioning of the Silame Bridge and rural road projects, Governor Sule stated that he chose to travel by road to Silame Local Government Area to counter what he termed media exaggeration aimed at scaring away prospective investors.
He asserted that despite warnings that he could not travel the route without encountering bandits, he made the journey without incident. Sule argued that reports portraying widespread banditry in the state were untrue and that those making such claims were lying.
“It is unnecessary rumours and negative narratives that scare away potential investors from bringing their capital to develop our state and country, simply because journalists have peddled falsehoods about us,” Governor Sule stated.
However, he also acknowledged that no state in Nigeria is completely immune to security challenges, stressing the need for leaders and citizens to project positive narratives to attract economic development.
The remarks sparked immediate public debate, with residents questioning the governor’s assessment given recent armed incursions in rural communities.
One Bashir Jelani had requested that the Governors of Nasarawa and Sokoto apologise to the people of Sokoto because of the comment.
“I still cannot understand why the governor uses a single journey on a particular route to dismiss the terrible experiences of Sokoto people affected by banditry. Even more disappointing is the reaction of the Sokoto State Governor,” he said.
The Sokoto State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has challenged comments attributed to Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, on the security situation in Sokoto State.
He said the effectiveness of security measures should ultimately be assessed by residents’ ability to live peacefully, access their farmlands and carry out legitimate economic activities.
Because statements from public officials on security influence public perception and policy response, DUBAWA examined Governor Sule’s claim against documented security records in Sokoto State.
Verification
A review of the recorded broadcast of the event confirms that Governor Sule made the statements.
In his speech, he recounted being told that travellers could not drive from Sokoto to Silame without facing attacks from armed bandits. He maintained that because his convoy travelled the corridor safely, claims of pervasive bandit activity in the state were false and fabricated.
However, DUBAWA examined security reports across Sokoto State to verify whether the absence of an ambush along a single, heavily escorted VIP corridor establishes that banditry does not exist in the state.
What the evidence shows
Documented security records and news publications directly contradict the claim that Sokoto State is devoid of bandit activity.
On Aug. 26, 2026, armed bandits raided Gorau community in Goronyo Local Government Area, an attack reported by Vanguard, where four residents were killed, seven sustained gunshot wounds, and four others were abducted just days after a fatal boat mishap in the same corridor.
On that same day, as reported by The Whistler and The Star, military troops engaged armed bandits who attempted to storm a military facility in Sifawa, Bodinga Local Government Area—roughly 25 kilometres from the state capital—in a firefight that left two soldiers injured before the assailants were repelled.
The violence continued days later in Rabah Local Government Area, where bandits ambushed farmers in Ghandi district on Aug. 31, 2026.
The Punch and Legit.ng reported that the gunmen opened fire on agricultural workers, killing eight farmers and leaving five others critically injured in an attack confirmed by the Sokoto State Police Command.
Beyond direct raids, armed groups have continued to enforce financial levies on communities; on Sept. 2, 2026, reports surfaced detailing how suspected bandits imposed a N40 million ransom levy on residents of Kebbe town, an extortion demand the police command’s spokesperson confirmed to DUBAWA.
Can an escorted journey prove Sokoto is free of insecurity?
Governor Sule’s journey occurred along a specific highway, and he travelled in an official gubernatorial convoy accompanied by armed security escorts.
A peaceful transit under heavy security along one route cannot serve as proof that armed banditry does not exist across the state. Documented attacks, ransom demands, and casualties across Goronyo, Rabah, Bodinga, and Kebbe demonstrate active banditry in parts of Sokoto State.
Conclusion
Governor Abdullahi Sule’s claim that those reporting bandit operations in Sokoto State are lying is misleading. While the governor experienced an uneventful journey from Sokoto to Silame, multiple verified police reports, casualty records, and local security briefings confirm that armed bandits remain active and continue to carry out attacks in several areas of Sokoto State.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.