How banditry forced Zamfara residents out of their homes

Banditry is assuming an alarming scope in Zamfara as the hoodlums have continued to sack more villages and towns, killing and abducting people on a daily basis.

A recent incident that attracted the attention of the public was that of Sakajiki village, which bandits attacked for three consecutive days from October 14 to 16.

Irked by the development, youths from the village blocked the Kaura-Namoda-Gusau highway, preventing motorists and other commuters from passing through the road.

The action of the angry youth attracted the attention of the Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Dalijan, and the Emir of Kaura, Dr Sanusi Muhammad Ahmad Asha, who consoled and prevailed on them to remove the barricades and allow motorists and other commuters to use the road.

Ordering contractors back to site without payment wrong, HURIWA tells FG

How Nigeria secured victory in P&ID case – FG

The CP and emir promised the deployment of adequate security personnel in the village to curtail the activities of bandits. However, a week after the promise, a resident of Sakajiki, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said no additional police personnel had been deployed in the area.

According to reports from Kaura Namoda, the bandits returned on Sunday night and attacked the village, during which they abducted some residents.

Also, reports from Tsafe Local Government Area of the state indicated that on Friday, gunmen attacked some travellers, killing one and injuring several others in Machiya village.

A resident of the area told Daily Trust that the bandits opened fire on a moving vehicle shortly after the driver took off from Machiya Motor Park, adding that the survivors of the attack were receiving treatment at a general hospital.

Our correspondents gathered that the worst-hit villages by banditry include Munhaye, Yankuzo, Danjibga, Mashayar Zaki, Yan Warin Daji and Kurar Mota.

Malam Nasiru Muhammad, one of the villagers who relocated to Gusau from Tsafe due to persistent attacks by the bandits. He told Daily Trust that he spent about four years in Gusau after he relocated from Danjibga village in Tsafe LGA.

The father of four said the bandits have sacked many villages. “You cannot find even a dog in some of the affected villages because the bandits have carted away cows and other domestic animals and forced the occupants to abandon their homes and relocate to other places.

“No village is safe now in the whole of Tsafe Local Government. Even Tsafe town is not safe because the bandits attack the town from time to time.

“Residents of many villages have surrendered to the bandits. They work for them on their farms, in the market, and even in their houses whenever they demand it. This is the only way the bandits will allow you to live in peace.

“Whoever wants to live in peace must comply with bandits’ directives. Anybody who resists their orders will dearly pay the consequences of his action,” Muhammad said.

Areas like Anka and Gumi local governments have now turned into no-go areas for many travellers, including the residents. Although Anka town is relatively peaceful, neighbouring villages like Mai Galma, Gurusu, Makakari, Duhuwa and Kirsa are deserted as bandits have forced their occupants to relocate to safe places.

Also, in Maru Local Government, many villages, including Yar-Tasha, Dan Gulbi, Mayanchi, Dansadau, Kanoma, Dankirbi, Magami and Bindin in Kebbi State that share borders with Maru LG, are among the worst affected areas by the activities of bandits in the axis.

Malam Auwal Isa, a resident of Yar-Tasha who spoke to Daily Trust, confirmed that “at present, only 10 per cent of the populace of Maru LG are residing in their villages and towns, while 90 per cent have deserted their homes for safety.”

He went on, “We are not safe at home, we are not safe at the market and we are not safe on the roads. In fact, no place is safe in this area.

“We are only cultivating 20 per cent of our farms. Eighty per cent have not been cultivated for many years due to banditry. The situation is seriously affecting farming activities in this part of Zamfara State.

“Maru is one of the major producers of farm produce in the state, but look at it now: the majority of our people have abandoned their homes and farms and relocated to other areas for safety.

“Travellers have to stop over at Yar-Tasha for two days and then move to Magami and spend five days there before they can proceed to Gusau amidst escort of armed soldiers. This is how we travel to Gusau from this area. I can confidently tell you that people are really suffering in this part of the state,” he concluded.

Maman Jummai, who has relocated to Gusau from Dansadau village in Maru LG, said they were living in fear and could not endure the suffering under the custody of bandits.

She explained that although they are currently taking refuge at an uncompleted building in Gusau, it is far better than living in the bondage of the bandits.

“The bandits attacked our village one Friday evening. They displaced us, we ran into the bush for safety. Through the bush, we began our journey to Gusau because we could not go back to our village,” she concluded.

Hauwa’u Halliru, a mother of eight, relocated to Gusau from Rijiyar Tsakar Dawa village due to persistent attacks by the bandits. She said the bandits have attacked their villages several times.

She said, “The bandits killed three of my children. They abducted many villagers during the attacks. On the very day they attacked our village, I was having a nap in the morning when suddenly I heard gunshots from different angles. Before I came out of the room, three bandits forced themselves into the room and began to shout at me. They killed some people and carted away our belongings. They stole our cows, goats and sheep.

“If we are lucky to have food, fine; if not, we only process leaves and eat together with my children. Life is not easy at all. You can imagine a mother with eight children living in an uncompleted building,” she lamented.

Her son, Abubakar Halliru, told Daily Trust that he was at a boarding school in Damba town in Gusau Local Government when the news of the attack on his village was broken to him by someone, adding that he attempted to go to the village to meet his parents, but the school authority prevented him.

“It was on one Thursday evening that I met with a man who was from my village. He told me that bandits had attacked our village and the residents had deserted it. I attempted to go there, but I was prevented. Later, I was taken to the location where my parents stayed.”  

Daily Trust gathered that the worst-hit areas lacked adequate security personnel as, apart from the few military personnel that are based at some locations, there was no presence of police and civil defence in most of the villages and towns of the affected areas.

All efforts to speak with the CP and Zamfara State government officials for comments proved abortive, as several promises by the Special Adviser to the Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Yazid Abubakar, were not fulfilled.