The screaming headlines by some newspapers and online platforms on the contrived “sudden disappearance” of Hamdiyya Sidi by some opposition elements was reported in a manner that was solely intended to portray the Sokoto Government as being wholly responsible for her “sudden disappearance”, and to mislead gullible Nigerians into reaching the same patently false conclusion. It’s confounding that the newspapers relied solely on Abba Hikima, Hamdiyya Sidi’s lawyer without any effort at cross checking from her family or the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) about the authenticity of his claims before rushing to press. Having achieved part of their objective,it’s not surprising that Hamdiyya Sidi, who is being prosecuted by the police for alleged incitement of the public has since been “miraculously” found at the Bakura General Hospital in Zamfara State.
From Wurno local government in Sokoto state where she was purportedly abducted to Bakura in Zamfara state where she was eventually found is about 80 kilometers. There is absolutely no doubt that the contrived disappearance of Hamdiyya Sidi was staged by one or more of the various interest groups that are using her to advance their own political interests, especially there avowed mission to rubbish the Sokoto State Government and the intimidation of the Nigerian Police Force(NPF) which is prosecuting her into abandoning their constitutional duties.
It’s interesting that to date there has been no further updates on her so called abduction, on how she got to Bakura,her state and how they knew she was at Bakura? The many gaps in her disappearance story deserves further investigation by the security agencies so that those responsible can be brought to justice. This has to be done so we can have an end to their tiresome theatrics.
It’s also important to stress that Hamdiyya’s disappearance was never reported to the Sokoto State Police Command under whose jurisdiction she allegedly went missing and who have the statutory right to declare her missing, otherwise people can just wake up like her lawyer did and report whoever suits their fancy as missing.
According to Ahmed Rufai, the Police Public Relations Officer, Sokoto State Command, “we were not aware she was missing. The information at my disposal was that Hamdiyya, was supposed to appear in court on the May 21, 2025, in continuation of her trial before a magistrates’ court” he said.
In Nigeria, the standard procedure for declaring someone missing involves reporting to the Nigerian police as soon as their whereabouts become unknown and there are serious concerns for their safety. The police will consequently open a missing person report and initiate a search, which would include contacting the family, and friends, as well as searching hospitals and morgues. Her lawyer certainly understands this fact,but he didn’t adhere to it because it is all part of the hire wired game-plan of the opposition to embarrass the governor.
On the day Hamdiyya reportedly disappeared her defense was to close their case. Her disappearance and the more than 10 long adjournments at their instance shows that the strategy of the Hamdiyya’s legal team is to delay the trial so as to buy time and hopefully drag the case into elections season so that the opposition can vigorously use it against the government of Sokoto State.
But why are the defendants opposed to the swift conclusion of her criminal trial which is contrary to the spirit of speedy trial as enshrined in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2019 of Sokoto state? Clearly it’s not just because they know they have a bad case,but that it continues to provide the defeated opposition with more “drama materials” to demonize Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, who despite having no hand in her trial continues to be held responsible.
Unfortunately Hamdiyya Sani, the pawn in the political chess game has absolutely no say in how her case is conducted,when she did she had apologized to the people of the state over actions. The judge has a duty to stop indulging these mischief makers and to stop any other delay tactics that they might likely employ to frustrate the trial.
So far the opposition strategy of dragging Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto into the issue in order to blackmail him into stopping the prosecution of Hamdiyya a matter that is within the competence of the police has spectacularly failed.
The governor we must remember wasn’t the complaint. Marafa Yakubu, the village head of Sabon Birnin Daji village in Wurno local government areas was. He reported her to the police when she started inciting the women to violence contrary to her stated mission of rendering assistance to them. The Village Head was right to have alerted the police, an action which helped avert the breakdown of law and order.
The Hamdiyya matter has further exposed the worrying poor grasp of the constitutional issues as regards the war on terrorism, by some media practitioners; i.e. that the war is solely that of the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the limited powers of the Sokoto State Government in the war, and the responsibilities of the Nigerian Police Force(NPF).
For instance was Hamdiyya Sidi, right in criticizing Governor Ahmad Sokoto who despite being a glorified Chief Security Officer has given the security challenges confronting his state his all. Did she not misdirect her anger against the governor in her late 2024 TikTok video. So why did Hamdiyya Sidi falsely accuse Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto who has been up and doing in addressing the security situation. Is it not because she was reportedly paid by the opposition to “cause trouble” or the possibility of her acting in a film based on her “ordeal”. Was Hamdiyya Sidi asking a simple question,when she said “If he (the governor) and his family faced the horrific violence that has befallen countless women across the North—women who have been violated in unspeakable ways, sometimes in front of their families—would he remain so indifferent”?
For the record, the Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto’s administration has rightly placed combating the security challenges on top of its agenda, and has continued to discharge more than what is its constitutional responsibilities to its citizens. It has established a Community Corps to primarily gather intelligence for the military, has heavily invested in constructing military bases and has provided other logistics support for the security agencies like the provision of buffalo vehicles,all because the victims are citizens of Sokoto State. But it’s only a sub-national government,so it lacks the coercive power to really go after the terrorists.
The logical question is are there other initiatives that Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto should take in his bid to take the war to the terrorists operating in his state within his constitutional authority that he hasn’t taken? While it’s not the constitutional responsibility of Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto to construct military bases, he has in enlightened self interest constructed one at Ilela for the armored corps and built access roads to help the security agencies respond promptly to the attacks.
But the media rather than holding the military accountable,continues to lionize Hamdiyya as a staunch social media critic of Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto. Is it that the concerned media platforms are ignorant of the facts or that they have been conscripted into a political plot to demonize Governor Sokoto?
Going by the media reports of April 2025, that the Sokoto Chief Magistrates’ Court had sentenced Hamdiyya Sani to 12 lashes, two years imprisonment, or a fine of N50,000; which were lies from the pit of hell one can safely conclude that some section of the media are part of the gang up. Luckily Abba Hikima her lawyer refuted the story.
For the benefit of the media, that out of mischief is holding governors responsible for the deplorable state of insecurity, it’s the responsibility of the federal government of Nigeria to secure the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and not several sub- nationals like Sokoto State which have been forced to perform the role because it is their people that are being raped, killed,and subjected to other forms of inhuman treatment.
If only those behind the Hamdiyya gang up understand that while the continued demonization of the governor might probably have some impact beyond the shores of the state,but that the people of Sokoto State who suffered for 8 forlorn years under the Aminu Tambuwal administration are not perturbed by the false media reports on the issue, because of his impressive performance. Again they are fully aware that Governor Sokoto being a man of peace has no hand in the travails of Hamdiyya and being deeply religious people find her verbal tirades against the governor and her incitement of the women to forcefully take over government properties in Wammako local government area of Sokoto state unacceptable.
Agreed that Hamdiyya has a right to speech,but she certainly went over the board in wishing the governor and his family ill. Hamdiyya Sidi, is an adult that can be tried for attempting to breach public peace. It’s a pity that she has suddenly found herself facing the reality of being convicted despite assurances by her sponsors that she won’t be prosecuted by the police.
The malicious attack, the campaign of calumny, the misinformation, and propaganda against Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto and his family would not abate because of the erroneous believe by the opposition that this would help in the defeat of Governor Sokoto in the 2027 general elections.
Gatekeepers News is not liable for opinions expressed in this article, they’re strictly the writer’s
