Amidst peace deal in Katsina: Bandits abduct 55 in Zamfara

Bandits yesterday abducted 43 worshippers from a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. They were also said to have kidnapped 12 persons at Godai village, Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state, on Sunday. Both incidents occurred at a time community leaders and some armed groups in neighbouring Katsina […]

Bandits yesterday abducted 43 worshippers from a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

They were also said to have kidnapped 12 persons at Godai village, Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state, on Sunday.

Both incidents occurred at a time community leaders and some armed groups in neighbouring Katsina State had entered into a peace deal.

Security experts said that to effectively address insecurity, state governments in the North West must collaborate against bandits in the zone.

The Zamfara mosque attack, Daily Trust gathered, occurred around 5.30am during prayer. The gunmen were said to have surrounded the mosque and whisked away 43 worshippers towards Gahori Mountain.

Gahori Mountain, in Tsafe Local Government Area, is situated in a thick forest that spreads from Zamfara through parts of Kebbi State and down to Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.

The forest is said to be an enclave of different bandits’ groups operating across Zamfara and parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states.

Locals alleged that almost all the famous bandit leaders, including Bello Turji, Ado Aliero, Dogo Gide, Dan Isuhu and Black, among others, have their enclaves around Gahori Mountain.

Residents, who spoke to Daily Trust yesterday, said the attack on the mosque had left several communities in Tsafe and environs in confusion and despair.

A resident of Gidan Turbe, Habibu Dogo, said: “The bandits silently surrounded the mosques and patiently waited for the worshippers to finish prayers. Shortly after they finished, the bandits gathered all of them outside and later moved them out of the village.

“It appears the bandits kept their motorcycles afar because nobody in the village noticed their movements. After they abducted the worshippers, they moved them towards Gahori Mountain.

Auwal Isa, a resident of Tsafe, said the community and its environs had been witnessing renewed banditry attacks in recent days.

He said, “From Kucheri-Tsafe, a distance of about 10 kilometres has become a death trap due to persistent banditry activities.

“Several communities within this parameter have remained under constant attacks by the bandits in recent days. Hardly a day passes without a community or two being attacked.

“Residents of some communities around the Gahori Mountain have deserted their homes for fear of being attacked. Right now, even the communities that had agreements with bandits are not being spared.

“The bandits will enter an agreement with a village and collect their money, but later attack them on the slightest provocation. This is the problem we are facing in this part of Zamfara State.”

One of the community leaders, who preferred not to be named, told one of our correspondents that the attack was carried out by bandits loyal to Adamu Aliero.

He alleged that the abduction was a consequence of Zamfara State’s refusal to enter into a peace accord with the armed groups.

“This is their usual pattern. Whenever they reach a peace deal with one community, they simply shift their attacks to neighbouring areas.

“The same thing happened before. When there was a peace agreement in Zamfara, the bandits moved their operations to Katsina.

“After the latest peace deal was brokered last Saturday in Katsina, I knew we would be their next target—because Katsina is our immediate neighbour,” the leader added.

 

We’re in distress – Residents

Muhammad Tukur Isa, a resident of Kaura Namoda, alleged that both the federal and the state governments were not sincere about fighting banditry.

“We are tired of the game the two governments are playing. All we want is peace. We want to return to our farms and markets and live a normal life. We have been attacked several times, and the bandits have looted all our belongings.

“For years, they have tormented us, and despite our repeated calls to the authorities, no real effort has been made to save our lives. What we saw during the just-concluded bye-election is enough to show that the government is not doing enough in the fight against banditry.

“If the government can deploy adequate personnel and weapons to secure elections in this community, why can’t it provide the same protection for our lives? Sincerely, the election exposed the government’s lapses,” he said.

Another resident, Alhaji Bello Yusuf Tsafe, urged urging the Minister of State for Defence and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to work together to tackle the insecurity in the state.

“They need each other, and until they put their heads together, Zamfara people will continue to suffer in the hands of bandits.

“We are praying that one day, these two gentlemen will sit under one roof and strategise on how to end banditry in the state. As the security situation deteriorates, they must put their grievances aside and salvage Zamfara,” he said.

The Sunday’s attack on Godai village in Bukkuyum LGA was said to occur around 3.40am when sporadic shootings by bandits forced residents to flee.

A security expert, Zagazola Makama, on his social media handles, said 12 persons were abducted in the process.

He quoted the Zamfara State Police Command as confirming receiving a distress call from the Divisional Police officer in the area and deploying officers there.

Governor Dauda Lawal had restated his administration’s firm stance against negotiating with bandits.

He had reiterated this during his recent condolence visit to Kagara, Dan Isa and Kasuwar Daji — three communities in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area hit by banditry in August.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, Governor Lawal said the visits were part of his administration’s commitment to prioritising security and standing with victims of violent attacks.

“Since assuming office, I have made it clear: we will not negotiate with those who murder innocent citizens. That position has not changed. These groups have never shown sincerity, and we will not legitimise their actions by engaging them,” he said.

 

Zamfara asks FG to deploy soldiers

The Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Broadcast Media, Alhaji Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, asked the federal government to deploy soldiers in the state like it did during the recent by-elections in the state.

“We have security personnel on the ground, but they cannot engage the bandits until they receive orders from Abuja. While they wait for orders, the bandits are busy killing innocent people, including the security personnel themselves,” Kaura said.

He alleged that Zamfara residents were being attacked daily while troops remained idle due to a lack of directives.

“The same federal government that could not give our soldiers orders to confront bandits deployed three battalions—about 3,000 soldiers—to Kaura Namoda during the recent by-election. They came with heavy weapons, gun tractors, Armoured Personnel Carriers, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police and four Commissioners of Police to protect votes in just six wards,” he said.

“If not politicisation, what stops the federal government from deploying the same resources to fight banditry? Even if they claim Zamfara is under opposition, why are banditry attacks still raging in APC-controlled states like Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, and Kaduna?” he asked.

 

Peace deal not working – Security expert

A security expert, who preferred not to be named, in an interview with Daily Trust yesterday, said the peace deal with armed groups had not yielded any positive results.

He said: “I have said time without number that a peace deal is difficult to achieve in this kind of situation. You cannot achieve peace with bandits in Katsina State while the government of Zamfara State has rejected any form of negotiations with bandits. You also cannot achieve any peace deal in Katsina or any other state while dealing with only selected bandit leaders.

“These bandits are many, and they are all operating with dangerous firearms. So, when you seal a deal with a particular bandit leader, another one will feel offended and will intensify attacks on innocent people as a message to you that he is capable of destabilizing the state.

“So, this is the situation: while some local leaders negotiate with particular groups of bandits, other groups intensify attacks on communities in order to prove that they are capable of disrupting peace in the state. Even those who have entered agreements with the government are not laying down their weapons, but rather moving to other states and continuing with their dastardly actions.

“For me, the bandits are just playing with the intelligence of our leaders. They will never lay down their arms, knowing very well that they will never get the kind of money they get from banditry from any lawful work.

“Tell me, a single job that will generate for the bandits the huge money they are getting from ransom? Certainly, we don’t have such a job in Nigeria. So, they will continue to deceive the government, collect huge amounts of money in the name of negotiation, and continue to buy weapons with it. That’s just the truth of the matter.

“Another unfortunate stumbling block that is hindering the fight against banditry is the lack of synergy between the states and the federal government. Sincerely speaking, this is a serious problem that, if not addressed properly, will ensure the ongoing crusade against banditry never ends in the future.

“We need strong and effective synergy between the federal and state governments where banditry is taking place. We recently heard what the Zamfara State governor said about banditry in his state, and anybody familiar with the trend can testify that some of his claims are true.

“There is a crack, especially between the security architecture at the federal level and some state governments. This also needs to be addressed. Until they work harmoniously, the fight will not yield any positive results.”

The expert added that the issue of welfare for the foot soldiers fighting the war against bandits should be critically looked into with a view to improving it.

“You cannot send someone to defend the country against its enemy and leave him with an empty stomach. The welfare of soldiers on the war front should be improved in order to boost their morale.

“Consequently, our security operatives need to be provided with the right firearms that will allow them to win the war. We have heard soldiers complaining about the type of weapons they were given to fight the bandits.

“There is no way Nigeria will win the fight while its soldiers are confronting terrorists with lower-grade weapons; they need superior weapons to defeat the bandits,” the security expert stated.

 

Previous attacks in Tsafe

In recent months, Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State had suffered multiple attacks.

In April, suspected loyalists of notorious bandits’ leader, Adamu Aliero, stormed Biyabiki village around 8pm, burning a Juma’at mosque, a primary healthcare centre and 10 houses.

Residents linked the assault to the killing of Aliero’s brother, Isuhu Yellow and his son during a failed ambush on security operatives in Keta. Earlier the same day, Tsageru village was also set ablaze in what appeared to be a coordinated attack.

The following month, 11 armed men disguised in police uniforms and raided Government Secondary School, Raka, killing a teacher, Malam Kabiru Abdullahi, who resisted abduction. His wife and two other women were kidnapped during the operation.

Also in April, suspected Aliero loyalists invaded Keta village in retaliation for Yellow’s death, killing one person, burning 11 vehicles and looting shops.

During clashes with community guards and police, Yellow and several of his men were killed. However, fleeing bandits later attacked Danjibga, killing eight people and looting traders.

Meanwhile, residents of Sindun village in Birnin Magaji Ward, Gummi LGA of Zamfara State, killed two suspected bandits after they kidnapped a man, Alhaji Ba-Fashi and stole his two motorcycles.

Sources said the villagers identified one of the assailants as a resident of a neighbouring community. They mobilised and confronted the attackers, successfully neutralising two of them. However, one suspect managed to escape with the abducted victim.