The prevailing rate of bandit attacks that are going unabated is causing sleepless nights to some communities in Lere and Kauru local government areas of Kaduna state.
Recently, Garun-Kurama, Kahugu, Ungwan Kerau, and Mariri in Lere local government area have been under attacks of the bandits, kidnapping people indiscriminately for ransom.
A resident of Garun-Kurama, a suburb of Saminaka, who craved anonymity for fear of being kidnapped, said recently the wife of Lere local government chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was kidnapped and a whopping amount of money was paid as ransom for her release.
He said the APC chieftain, Mr. Jonathan Shekarau Ukissa, popularity called Ba’are, has been experiencing attacks 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 at 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 while his fate remains 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.
It was also gathered that Damakasuwa and Bakin Kogi communities in Kauru local government area of Kaduna state are facing the series of attacks by kidnappers.
Another person who also prefers to be anonymous said people in Damakasuwa are now more of fugitives, leaving the town at dawn and returning 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 good yields and started bringing farm produce home.
Recall that Yadin Garun Kurama was where some Catholic priests were kidnapped and killed two years ago.
They worried that the insecurity in the areas are rampant despite having the Commissioner for Environment, Hon Abubakar Buba, who was Lere’s council chairman.
“All complaints are falling on deaf ears, we don’t seem to have leaders with political goodwill, all they care about is to amass wealth for themselves.
“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 criminal activities in our communities.
“We are afraid and are in a dilemma. You dare not bring your farm produce home, you could be the next victim,” they lamented
This is coming when the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, recently addressed stakeholders on issues of insecurity. He assured that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government is doing everything possible to secure the country despite inheriting many leadership liabilities.
Thomas Garba,
Lere, Kaduna state
