Are Funtua communities this vulnerable?

We have already lost count of how many times kidnappers came and abducted people in Funtua, but the ease with which their operation is being carried out is alarming. The two successful kidnappings that occurred in the past weekend, on Saturday, at a single house near GRA and on Sunday in Sabuwar Abuja – symbolise […]

We have already lost count of how many times kidnappers came and abducted people in Funtua, but the ease with which their operation is being carried out is alarming. The two successful kidnappings that occurred in the past weekend, on Saturday, at a single house near GRA and on Sunday in Sabuwar Abuja – symbolise the helplessness of the security agents meant to protect the town and its villages from these monsters.

Over time residents have been overtaken by fear of these marauders, thus the reaction to any rumour of an attack or the sound of a single gunshot sends people running helter skelter for their lives. Even the “’Yan Karota” volunteers’ confidence to confront the monsters has since waned upon realising the sophisticated weapons the bandits carry along.

So a city as big as Funtua, with routes linking it to many towns and villages from East, West, South and North, is under security threat. These links make it easier for the kidnappers to make away with whoever they have successfully abducted with little chances of being chased.

But what would be the fate of community members that have already been defeated by the fear of being potential victims of the kidnappers even when they shut and lock their doors.

What Funtua communities need now is making available phone lines that will enable them to easily reach security agents in times of emergency. Second is the need to beef up the number of security agents deployed to the area with adequate weapons to repel any attack by bandits.

Third, we, the community members, need to reduce the extent of our collective fear for the kidnappers. It is not helpful to say that the only thing when attacked by them is to run for our dear lives. It is time for us to start being responsible for where our political choice has landed us.

 

Umar Haruna Tami wrote from Funtua