Niger: Terrorists move into homes of displaced residents, plant crops on their Farms

Five months after the residents of Allawa Community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State fled their homes following the withdrawal of soldiers from the community, bandits and terrorists have reportedly moved into the community where they engage in farming.

One of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Erena told Daily Trust that some people were sent home on Friday to check if their community had become safe for them to return and plant some crops, before the raining season ends but they met terrorists occupying their homes and growing crops on their farm lands.

He said the terrorists also used the fertilizers they bought before fleeing homes on their crops, destroyed and burnt down  some houses.

“We went to check our homes to know if our communities were safe for return, but surprisingly, the terrorists are presently occupying Allawa. We saw them; they have cultivated most of our farm lands. They have used the fertilizers we acquired for this farming season before we were displaced in April.

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“They have destroyed some of our houses and they have occupied the remaining ones. Our house was among those they destroyed. It is traumatic”, he said.

Daily Trust reported how hundreds of residents of Allawa Community fled on April 25, 2024 after the soldiers stationed in the community were withdrawn.

Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd), while confirming the withdrawal to Daily Trust in April, had said the decision was administrative by the military authorities to restrategise on how to defeat terrorists in the area.

“The whole thing is about administrative arrangements by the military to re-strategise to return in full strength”, Mohammed said in a text message he sent to our correspondent.

Efforts to get the Commissioner to respond to current development was not successful. While his number was not connecting as at the time our correspondent called him, he had not responded to a message sent to his phone.

Daily Trust recalls that soldiers pulled out of the community after two military officers and a vigilante lost their lives in an ambush.

The deceased persons were attacked while responding to a distress call from Roro, Karaga, Rumace and other farming communities.

Two days after the deadly ambush, a military vehicle stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Allawa -Pandogari Road, leading to casualties.

Residents told our correspondent that since the withdrawal of troops, Allawa and several other communities were been taken over by two different terrorist groups who have now cultivated their farm lands while also sleeping in their houses.

Ibrahim Muhammed Gando Allawa, Chairman, Allawa Eagle Eye Forum, confirmed to Daily Trust that since the withdrawal of troops, residents had not returned home because of fear, saying that some people who fled since April were in Erena, Gwada, Kuta, Minna, Pandogari and other places.

“They (terrorists) are now sleeping comfortably in our rooms. They even have the courage to plant crops in our farm lands by forcing the people of neighbouring villages under their control, using the fertilizers we left behind”, he said.

He said no fewer than 15 communities have been under the control of Layi and Kacalla led terrorists group.

He named the communities to include Allawa, Jalako, Bassa, Kurebe, Madaka, Lukope, Wutare, Maganda, Gyaramiya, Samunaka, Tegina-kabata, Gagahuna, Ƙugu, Makuba, Unguwar-Usman among others.

He also said more than 12 other communities including Sabon Gari, Kwaki, Chukuba, Erena, Unguwar Matazu, Bataro, Iburo, Kudodo, Mai-komo, Unguwar-Madi, Ajatayi and Ajayi among others have been under the control of the Dogo Gide led bandits group.

Residents called on the state and federal governments to take decisive action to dislodge the terrorists from their communities to enable them return home and continue with farming.

When contacted, spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said security agencies were not relenting in their bid to make displaced persons return home.

“We are working with the military in line with the government effort to ensure that all displaced victims return to their villages, as counter-insurgency operations are ongoing in those axis,” he said.