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From Shafa’atu Suleiman, Sokoto
As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security in Sokoto East Senatorial District, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant for Sokoto East, Hon. Umar Ajiya Isa, has sponsored the clearing of sections of the notorious Gundumi Forest along the Isa–Sokoto highway.
The intervention was aimed at denying armed bandits hiding places and improving the safety of commuters.
The exercise forms part of community support for the security initiatives of the Sokoto State Government under Governor Ahmed Aliyu, whose administration has continued to provide logistics for security agencies, strengthen collaboration with local communities and support measures aimed at dismantling criminal networks across the state.
To reduce these security threats in the axis, residents of Isa Local Government Area joined the forest-clearing exercise coordinated by the Chairman of the council, Sharehu Abubakar Kamarawa.
Community members cleared thick vegetation from Rawul Forest to sections of the Gundumi Forest, opening up areas believed to have served as hideouts and escape routes for bandits.
According to local officials, the objective was to improve visibility along the highway, make it more difficult for criminal elements to operate undetected and complement ongoing military and other security operations in the area.
The exercise attracted traditional rulers, political leaders and residents, including the Sarkin Gobir of Isa, Alhaji Nasiru Usman Ahmad II; the APC Chairman in Isa Local Government, Alhaji Garba Araga Isa; former Sole Administrator of Isa Local Government, Hon. Isah Mohammed Dandela; Alhaji Sani Murtala; Umar Muhammad, the Uban Dawakin Isa; councillors representing the ten wards, youth groups and community elders.
Participants described the initiative as a practical demonstration of community participation in the fight against insecurity, expressing optimism that opening up the forest corridor would reduce opportunities for bandits to stage attacks on commuters and nearby communities.
They also commended Umaru Ajiya Isa for funding the exercise and reaffirmed their support for the Sokoto State Government’s efforts to restore lasting peace and improve security across the state.
For years, the vast Gundumi Forest, which stretches across parts of Sokoto and Zamfara, has been identified as one of the major enclaves used by armed bandit groups operating in Nigeria’s North-West.
Security experts and residents have repeatedly linked the forest to kidnapping, cattle rustling and deadly attacks on communities and motorists, particularly along the Isa–Sokoto road and other routes within Sokoto East Senatorial District.
The dense vegetation has provided cover for criminal gangs to establish camps, evade security operations and launch ambushes before retreating into the forest.
