Markets’ closure: Bandits demand cooked food as ransom in Kaduna

Bandits in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State now demand cooked food as ransom for kidnapped victims.

The bandits are said to have withdrawn from attacking communities since the state government banned weekly markets as part of measures to tackle insecurity.

It would be recalled that the state government through the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, banned weekly markets, as well as telecommunication, in parts of the state affected by banditry.

A youth leader in one of the villages of Birnin Gwari, Babangida Yaro, told Daily Trust that since the ban bandits operating around Damari, Kutemashi and Kuyello villages only asked for cooked food each time they abducted people.

According to him, the ban on the selling of fuel at filling stations located in rural communities had also helped to restrict the movements of the bandits.

Mr Yaro said, “There is relative peace around Damari, Kuyello and Kutemashi because the bandits have stopped attacking our communities. They usually stay in the forests and seize food items; mostly cooked ones, from vendors.”

He further said when they abducted people on the farms they allowed one or two to go and get them food from their relatives as ransom since there was no communication network to make contact.

However, the youth leader said Dogon Dawa area was still not completely safe because villagers were still scared of going to their farms.

He said the ban on the use of motorcycles in the villages had increased hardship on the bandits, but lamented that the villagers were also suffering the impact.