Persistent onslaughts by bandits have forced many residents to abandon their homes in some Kaduna communities, Daily Trust Saturday reports.
Juji and Angwar Gimbiya, which were once bubbling communities, are fast becoming ghost towns as persistent attacks and kidnappings have forced many residents to relocate to safer places.
Juji community shares boundaries with Kakau Daji, Ajaita, Babban Saura, Rido, Cidunu, Angwar Gimbiya and Angwar Gwari.
These communities, which are located at the outskirts of Chikun Local Government Area, witnessed many cases of attacks in recent times.
There have been reported cases of mass abductions in the communities, and ransoms were paid before the victims regained freedom.
For instance, in the first week of December 2021, bandits abducted over 28 residents at Unguwar Gimbiya.
Two people were killed during the attack, which lasted for hours. Days later, the bandits returned to Angwar Gwari, a nearby community and abducted a police officer, his wife and his daughter the very night he returned from a trip.
A house was also set ablaze by the bandits before leaving the community after they discovered that it was empty. An attack at Sabon Tasha GRA was repelled by security agencies on the same day.
A week to Christmas, the bandits again attacked Anguwar Gwari, killing an ex-soldier and abducting a few others. The ex-soldier was reportedly killed for refusing to follow his abductors after attacking his house.
Out of those abducted from the community, five, two women and three men were later found dead around Sabon Gayan village days after the incident.
Similarly, over 60 worshippers were abducted at Kakau Daji earlier in November in a church and ransom was paid before they were released.
Our correspondent who visited these communities observed that their location and setting made it easy for the bandits to operate unchallenged.
Houses are scattered around the communities, and there are lots of uncompleted buildings there, which are surrounded by grass, especially in Juji and Angwar Gimbiya.
Our correspondent observed that the road linking Juji to other neighbouring communities was in a deplorable condition, which makes it dangerous to ply at night.
The problem of the community is further compounded by lack of electricity as the transformer expected to serve them is not functioning.
Locals stay at home during day time only
It was further gathered that the owners of the abandoned houses return only in the afternoon but leave before 8pm daily.
“It is true that people abandon their houses at night here in Angwar Gimbiya for fear of being kidnapped. This community came under a series of abductions lately, so people are afraid,” Benjamin, a resident told our correspondent.
He said residents of the community lived under constant fear.
“I refused to leave because I don’t want to abandon my house due to fear, but others are leaving,” he said.
Another resident, Shehu Abgulu said, “We send our women and children to other communities to spend the night due to fear because nobody wants his family members abducted.”
He explained that most men slept with one eye open so as not to be caught unawares by the bandits.
“We are not happy, especially at night, because you will be looking forward for the day to break. In fact, we hardly sleep inside our houses because you will be thinking the bandits would come,” he added.
It was gathered that the head of the Angwar Gimbiya local vigilante group and another member of the community were killed during one of the attacks, an incident that further sent fears into the minds of the people.
‘Informants aiding bandits’
Daily Trust Saturday also gathered that some informants are aiding the activities of the bandits in the communities visited. Majority of the people interviewed said the way the bandits raided houses showed that some insiders within the affected communities supplied information to them.
“We are worried, and at the same time hoping that God would expose the informants among us. Although the last time we witnessed a mass abduction inside Juji community was in August 2020, all the neighbouring communities surrounding us are facing daily abductions, which is why our people are fleeing the area,” a community leader who didn’t want to be named said.
He is worried that many people are abandoning their houses to rent accommodation in other communities.
“Do you know that 60 per cent of Juji residents have fled because of what is happening in communities like Angwar Gimbiya, Angwar Gwari, Angwar Barde Bayan Tsauni and Angwar Bulus? If your neighbours are not safe, it means you are not safe,” he said.
We are facing challenges – CJTF
A member of the Civilian Joint Tax Force (JTF) in the area who craved anonymity said Juji community had been battling insecurity for a long time before the problem spread to Angwar Gimbiya and other areas.
He described Juji as being safer when compared to other communities surrounding it because of the presence of soldiers in the area.
He, however, said the soldiers were not enough to secure all the communities, saying the development was responsible for the rampant cases of abduction.
“We are a volunteer group, without salaries, but we are passionate about making our communities safe. As you know, we only use dane guns to engage the bandits, who attack us with sophisticated weapons. We need support from the government, in terms of weapons and finance,” he said.
He described the abductions taking place in the area as terrible, saying that residents now attend church services battle-ready to protect themselves from unforeseen circumstances.
“We don’t want to be taken unawares like the people of Kakau Daji, who were abducted during a church service,” he said.
It was further gathered that the bandits terrorising the communities live in neighbouring Kubusu forest, which leads to Kachia and Kajuru local government areas, while others live in Kwanti forest, which leads to Rijana forest.
Villagers occupy abandoned houses
It was also observed that some villagers who were displaced by bandits from Kwanti, Angwar Ayaba , Kankomi, Kabai and Kidinu villages now find refuge at some abandoned houses in Juji.
A villager from Angwar Ayaba, who simply identified himself as Samson, described Juji town, where he moved with his wife and son, as a bit safer when compared to his village, which has been taken over by the bandits.
“We find Juji to be safer compared to our villages because the bandits are presently in full control of our farmlands and villages. We left because they kept attacking us at will,” he said.
He said all the men displaced from other villages were staying temporarily in the abandoned houses while some are renting them.
He appealed to the state government to save their villages from bandits so that they could return to their farms.
Jummai Adamu, a daughter of the village head of Angwar Ayaba, said life had not been easy for her parents.
“Insecurity, feeding and lack of finance are the major concerns facing the men and our parents. The bandits displaced us from our homes, rendering us helpless,” she said.
She said that as displaced people, they lacked freedom in their new environment, and pleaded with the government to provide enough security in rural areas as lives are equally important in those places.
We need support from the affected communities – Police
When contacted, the public relations officer of the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Jalige Mohammed, said that on the directive of the commissioner of police in the state, the Sabon Tasha divisional officer went around the area and had a meeting with various stakeholders at Angwar Gimbiya, Anwar Bulus, and Sabo GRA.
He said the meeting became necessary because the police needed support and collaboration from the people living in those communities to address the security issues.
“We believe there is a need for serious collaboration with these communities. We are hoping the meeting would yield positive results,” he said.
ASP Jalige said the command suspected that some insiders were aiding the bandits.
“But we can know these informants’ when the people support us. We are also concerned about the insecurity in those communities, but we suspect there are informants among the people in these areas,” he said.
