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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Sokoto gov candidate decries rising insecurity, deaths after boat tragedy

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • An opposition candidate in Sokoto State, Nigeria, decried the rising death toll from insecurity and preventable accidents, calling it a humanitarian crisis.
  • Manir Muhammad Dan’iya cited over 100 deaths in 10 days from bandit attacks and a boat accident, urging urgent government action.
  • He criticized the state government's focus on projects ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that insecurity could impact voter participation.

Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, the governorship candidate for the African Democratic Congress in Sokoto State, has voiced grave concern over a surge in deaths across the region, labeling it a worsening security and humanitarian crisis. Dan’iya, also known as Walin Sokoto, highlighted that recent incidents suggest over 100 lives have been lost in the past 10 days alone.

The scale and frequency of these tragedies should be a wake-up call to the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government.

— Manir Muhammad Dan’iyaIn a statement addressing the rising death toll and insecurity in Sokoto State.

These tragedies include bandit attacks in Ungushi, Kebbe Local Government Area, and incidents in Wurno and Silame local government areas. A particularly devastating boat accident in Goronyo Local Government Area has reportedly claimed 53 lives, with recovery efforts ongoing. Dan’iya stressed that the frequency and scale of these events demand immediate intervention from both the Federal and Sokoto State governments.

Government cannot continue to treat the loss of citizens’ lives as isolated incidents when communities are facing killings, insecurity, displacement and preventable tragedies.

— Manir Muhammad Dan’iyaCriticizing the government's response to the ongoing crises in Sokoto.

"The scale and frequency of these tragedies should be a wake-up call to the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government," Dan’iya stated in a release signed by his media aide. He criticized the authorities for treating these losses as isolated incidents, asserting that communities are enduring killings, insecurity, displacement, and preventable disasters. He accused the government of failing to show the necessary urgency, leaving many residents in fear.

No amount of infrastructure, commissioning ceremonies or political programmes can compensate for lives lost when citizens are not adequately protected.

— Manir Muhammad Dan’iyaEmphasizing the primacy of security over development projects.

Dan’iya also questioned the state government's recent focus on commissioning projects as the 2027 elections approach. He suggested some projects should have been completed earlier and called for transparency in their execution and spending. He urged the government to prioritize security and humanitarian issues over political activities, warning that continued killings and displacement could disenfranchise voters in the upcoming elections. He called for strengthened security operations, improved intelligence, community protection, and the prosecution of perpetrators.

If the killings continue at this rate, there may be fewer and fewer people left in these communities to participate in the 2027 elections.

— Manir Muhammad Dan’iyaWarning about the potential impact of insecurity on the electoral process.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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