Banditry: 80% of my subjects have fled their homes – Kaduna village chief

The Madaki of Janjala community in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State, Samaila Babangida, has said that over 80 per cent of his subjects have fled their homes for fear of being killed or kidnapped by bandits.

City & Crime had reported that bandits over the past few months terrorised residents of Janjala and some of its neighbouring villages.

Speaking through telephone with our reporter on Thursday, Babangida said Janjala and some neighbouring villages – predominantly inhabited by the Fulani – had been under siege due to the activities of bandits.

He said many of the residents, especially women and children, had deserted their homes to take refuge in Kagarko and Jere towns and others in neighbouring Bwari and Gwagwalada area councils in the FCT.

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While noting that the incessant attacks by the bandits had brought a big set back to the people of Janjala, he said, “There is no day that passes by without a report of someone being kidnapped by the bandits or being killed by the bandits, especially in Janjala. And just two days ago, these heartless criminals killed a newborn and freed the mother, while they still held on to her daughter and demanded N1.5m.”

According to him, only a few of his subjects sometimes returned during the day time to go to their farms and leave the community in the evening back to Jere and Kagarko towns to sleep.

Babangida, who decried lack of security outposts, appealed to the state government to as a matter of urgency and sympathy come to the aid of the community by deploying security in the area.