The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the enforcement of a curfew in Sabon Birni town, located within the Sabon Birni Local Government Area of the state.
This decision follows a violent uprising by local youths after the assassination of the District Head of Gatawa, Isa Muhammad Bawa.
The Spokesman for the State Police Command, ASP Ahmed Rufa’i, said the curfew restricts all movement in the area from 6 am to 6 pm daily until further notice.
Rufa’i emphasized that the measure was necessary to restore peace and stability, as the situation had escalated with hundreds of youths taking to the streets, setting up bonfires, and blocking major roads in protest.
The unrest quickly spiraled, with the enraged youths attacking key local government infrastructures.
They reportedly set fire to the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress and vandalized a courtroom in the area.
Additionally, the local government’s store was broken into, and its supply of fertilizer was destroyed.
Turakin Gobir, the son of the murdered district head, confirmed that security forces had been reinforced in the town to contain the situation.
Despite these efforts, he noted that the violence persisted into the night.
“We have been hearing gunshots since morning. But the protest is still ongoing as at 8 pm, which is an indication that the curfew is not yet effective,” Gobir stated.
The protesting youths have called for a thorough investigation into the assassination, demanding that those responsible be brought to justice.
They urged the federal government to launch an inquiry into the brutal killing of the district head, amid rumors that certain politicians might be involved.
In a short video that has circulated widely, Kabiru Isa, the son of the slain monarch who was recently released from captivity, leveled accusations against a member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, alleging that the lawmaker was responsible for his abduction.
The late Isa Muhammad Bawa was laid to rest on Thursday, with thousands of mourners gathering to pay their last respects.
The special funeral prayer, held in Sabon Birni, was led by the Chief Imam of the town, Imam Dahiru.
The somber ceremony marked a tragic chapter in the community’s history, as calls for justice continue to reverberate across Sokoto State.
