According to single-source reporting by Daily Trust, residents of Kebbi State staged a demonstration on Saturday, blocking the Jega-Kontagora Road to protest ongoing security threats and repeated attacks on local communities allegedly carried out by Lakurawa terrorists.
Highway Demonstration and Security Response
Video footage circulating on social media showed protesters setting bonfires along the busy transport corridor. Police officers deployed to the scene attempted to clear the blockade using tear gas to disperse the crowd. The demonstration resulted in a severe gridlock, leaving motorists and commuters stranded for several hours before authorities managed to reopen the highway to traffic.
Surging Displacement in Jega
Local residents reported that escalating violence has forced widespread displacement across the region. Nazeer Muhammad, a resident of Jega, told Daily Trust that several surrounding villages have been completely deserted as families flee repeated attacks by armed groups to seek safety in nearby towns.
“Our town is currently flooded with displaced persons, some of whom are sleeping in the open,” Muhammad stated, adding that a portion of the displaced population arrived from the Mayama and Ungushi communities located in neighboring Sokoto State.
Humanitarian Situation
The influx of fleeing residents has strained local resources in Jega. Another local resident, identified as Malam Idris, noted that approximately eight trucks carrying displaced persons arrived in the town on Sunday.
“Some of them are living in schools, while others have nowhere to shelter. They are surviving on assistance from good Samaritans,” Idris told Daily Trust, highlighting the immediate humanitarian challenges facing the displaced families.