Kaduna communities under Bandits' siege

...in Garun-Kurama many were kidnapped, many killed no one seemed to come to their rescue

By Tom Garba, Garu

The prevailing rate of bandit attacks that are going unabated is causing sleepless nights to the members of the Lere and Kauru Local Governments' communities.

Recently Garun-Kurama, Kahugu, Ungwan Kerau, and Mariri in the Lere Local Government area of Kaduna State have been under attacks of the bandits, kidnapping people indiscriminately for ransom.

A resident of Garun-Kurama, a suburb town of Saminaka who prefers to be anonymous for fear of being kidnapped said recently the wife of All Progressives Congress, APC, of the Lere Local Government area chairman, was kidnapped and a whopping undisclosed amount of money was paid as a Ransom.

He said the APC Chieftain, Mr. Jonathan Shekarau Ukissa, who is well known as Ba'are is experiencing an attack by the men of the underworld in recent times.

According to him some months ago his first Son was also kidnapped and spent days in the custody of the kidnappers until Money paid for his release.

He worried that the kidnappers were more deadly as the Younger Brother to Kaduna State former deputy speaker and a lecturer with the Kaduna State University, Professor Matoh Dari Dogara was kidnapped and killed within a few hours.

He said last week another person was kidnapped and still under their custody as ransom negotiation is still ongoing and his fate to come alive is uncertain.

"I'm afraid they may kill the Man because truly no one to help him for the ransom and the kidnappers have been threatening to kill him if nothing is done." He said 

This medium also gathered that Damakasuwa and Bakin Kogi communities in Kauru LGA are also facing the myriad attacks of kidnappers.

Another person who also prefers to be anonymous said people in Damakasuwa are now more of fugitives, leaving the town at dawn times and coming in the wee hours for fear of being kidnapped.

He revealed that the kidnappers are using people within the communities as their informants to leak information about who has farmed well and started bringing farm produce home.

You would recall that Yadin Garun Kurama was where some Catholic priests were kidnapped and killed two years ago.

They worried that the insecurity challenges in the areas are rampant despite having the commissioner of Environment, Hon Abubakar Buba who was Lere's former council Chairman and close to the government of Kaduna State.

"All complaints are falling on deaf ears, we don't seem to have Leaders with political goodwill, all they care about is to enmeshed well for personal gains. 

"Our House of Representatives member, Engr Mannir is doing nothing about it too.

"God will judge them, I'm suspecting a foul play of the government too. They are complacent about all the activities going around our communities.

"We are afraid and we are in a dilemma, You dare not bring back your farm produce home, you can be the next victim." They lamented 

This is coming when the National security adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu recently addressed stakeholders on issues of insecurity that the present government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing everything possible to secure the country despite inheriting many leadership liabilities.