23/11/2025
Hamdiyya: Punished For Speaking Against Banditry
Since the November 2024 viral social media video criticizing Governor of State Sokoto Ahmad Aliyu’s awful and grossly incompetent handling of insecurity and banditry — and the humanitarian crisis they caused, Hamdiyya Sidi Shariff has been subjected to series of human rights violations and abuses by the state.
In the video, Hamdiyya Sidi Shariff spoke out against rampant banditry affecting her village in eastern part of Sokoto state where bandits have been carrying out daily atrocities, including beheading and ra**ng of women and girls — targeting the families of farmers.
The government of Sokoto state charged her with the “use of insulting or abusive language.” She was also charged for: “inciting disturbance” for criticizing the Governor of Sokoto state Mr Ahmed Aliyu. Intense smear campaign was also sponsored against her and her family.
While facing trial, for speaking up against banditry, Hamdiyya Sidi Sharif was abducted by armed men and whisked into a tricycle on Wednesday 13 November 2024 while on her way to collect her mobile phone from a charging point. She was beaten and thrown out of a moving tricycle and left with severe injuries.
Again, on 20 May 2025, she was abducted by sponsored armed thugs. She was drugged, beaten and abandoned in a bush in Zamfara state.
Not only has the government failed to take the steps needed to stop these attacks and hold perpetrators to account, states like Sokoto, as in the case of Hamdiyya, uses police regularly punish those who dare to ask for more protection.