Dogon Dawa carnage: How gunmen turned many into widows, orphans

For 70-year-old Hajiya Dije, it is very difficult to believe that her only son, Alhaji Yunusa Maimai, is no more. Fate has today saddled her with what can best be termed as reversal of role. Her son Yunusa, who used to be responsible for her upkeep, was among the 26 people killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen […]

For 70-year-old Hajiya Dije, it is very difficult to believe that her only son, Alhaji Yunusa Maimai, is no more. Fate has today saddled her with what can best be termed as reversal of role. Her son Yunusa, who used to be responsible for her upkeep, was among the 26 people killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Dogon Dawa; today she has to do the same for the two widows and 16 orphans he left behind.

 

“Well, we have nothing to say than to thank Allah who gives and takes life, but these attackers have ruined my life. His death is still sounding like one of those tales by moonlight. In our assumption, the old supposed to die first, but Allah knows why He allowed these evil men to kill my only son. Though we are still alive, but in real sense the attackers have killed the whole family. We depend on Allah, but my son was the one who used to take care of all of us. Therefore, the evil people have indirectly killed our entire family. Allah would definitely fish them out, even if people are trying to cover them.

“Nemesis would certainly catch up with the killers, because they have succeeded in putting the lives of hundreds of people in difficult situation by killing their bread winners. I am sure Allah would not allow the lives of these little children to be ruined; assistance would come from Him.

“My son was shot dead on his way to the mosque. He was killed without any cause and without any reason. They shot him and moved away with impunity; leaving him writhing in pool of his own blood. Now, at over 70, I have to live with two widows and 16 orphans. There is no problem, Allah would see us through….” the tears rolling on Hajiya Dije’s cheeks cut short her explanation.

The fall of ‘indomitable’

Stories like that of Hajiya Dije are palpable in Dogon Dawa. Many families lost their bread winners to the bullets of the attackers.

The family of Makaman Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu, was one of the worst torched by the Dogon Dawa attacks.

Alhaji Aliyu is the head of the village’s vigilante group that engages in arresting the gangs who have been terrorising the area and its neighbouring communities.

For that reason, according to Alhaji Aliyu’s son, Aliyu Ahmad, the main goal of the attackers was to eliminate the Makama, the title that can be literally translated from Hausa as indomitable.

“They see him as their bottleneck. That was why they came to eliminate him after we have succeeded in capturing four members of the notorious gangs who have been terrorising this area. They succeeded in killing him and left 33 of us as orphans. He gave birth to 33 of us. Thirty two of us are now left behind because they killed one of our brothers together with our father.

“Of course, taking care of 33 orphans would be a difficult task, but we believe that help would come from Allah. Our home is a large one, comprising many families. Aside the 33 children, my father had about 60 grandchildren, and all these people have lost a strong pillar.

“We know those who are behind this heinous act and I can testify to that anywhere. In fact, some of them live in the neighbouring communities. We may have a relief if justice is done by fishing out the perpetrators and make them to face the full wrath of the law,” Ahmad said.

How imam escaped attackers

Imam Khalid Ibrahim is the Chief Imam of Dogon Dawa. He also narrated how 13 members of his congregation were killed.

“We have been hearing the sound of gunshots, but when the sounds subsided, we came out to observe the Subh (dawn) prayers, thinking that nobody in his right senses would attack a mosque. Behold, almost immediately after the prayers, the attackers stormed the mosque. They fired many shots into the mosque. They finally moved into the mosque, telling us that they were there to deal with us.

“They said they would deal with us because of the activities of Makama, who was our traditional ruler. They said he has been their bottleneck, hindering their armed robbery trade. After that explanation they started identifying the youths in the mosque and began to shoot them.

“Having seen that, I crawled through the small exit door meant for the Imam and hid under some disused tyres. Fortunately for me, the attackers didn’t take note when I was crawling out of the mosque, because I was sitting in the enclosure meant for the Imam. That was how I escaped. They killed 12 people inside the mosque and shot dead another worshipper outside the mosque. This man had observed his prayers at home, but decided to join us in Wazifa (supplications) that we usually offer after the dawn prayers. Unfortunately, they killed him outside the mosque.

“These killers are known people, and if we have reliable and efficient security agencies, they can be fished out. We know who they are. They are our neighbours and we are aware that they invited their fellows from Niger Republic for this attack. There is no two ways about it that these people are our neighbours.

The Fulani story

Many residents of Dogon Dawa are suspecting the Fulani as the mastermind of the attack. Two Fulani leaders who the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Adenaike, presented as volunteers who were at the force’s headquarters to shed light on the cause of the attack gave an insight.

According to these two Fulani leaders, who craved for anonymity on security ground, lingering conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and vigilante at Dogon Dawa might have led to the Dogon Dawa carnage.

The Fulani-volunteers said there have been numerous attacks and killings of Fulani herdsmen at Dogon Dawa, Kuyallo and the entire Birnin Gwari local government area by vigilante who were accusing the herdsmen of committing various crimes that included armed robbery.

“To our understanding, the killings at Dogon Dawa were reprisal. The vigilante group at Dogon Dawa have been arresting our people. There have been killings of Fulani at that axis. We have been laying our complaints to the authorities, but no serious action was taken. The vigilante had often been on house-to-house search killing our people. They have been killing our people tagging them as thieves. Some of those killed were even on transit with their cattle. This is why we are feeling that they don’t want non-indigenes to settle in that area.

“We are here to request the police to intervene by limiting the powers of the vigilante group, as the atrocities they are committing by taking laws into their hands would not make peace to reign in that area. If the vigilante groups are called to order, we would have peace in that area,” the leaders of the Fulani said.

In the same vein, the Kaduna State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Social Cultural Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Suleiman Abdullahi, said though he was not aware of attacks on Fulani at Dogon Dawa, but the claim may have some elements of truth.

“Attacks on Fulani and their property have become a common trend in Nigeria. I am aware that Fulani have been complaining to the police about the harassment they are facing in Birnin Gwari local government area.

It is only investigation that would reveal if the Dogon Dawa attack has anything to do with the problems that Fulani are facing in that area.

“However, we can only have peace in this country if all and sundry are treated justly and fairly, otherwise we would continue to be facing such types of problems,” Alhaji Abdullahi said.

The attack at the dawn

The daredevil gunmen stormed Dogon Dawa village at the dawn. They unleashed the havoc that residents described as unprecedented. The gunmen killed 26 people including the traditional title holder of Makaman Birnin Gwari.

Dogon Dawa village is about 90 kilometres away from Zaria and about 200 kilometres from Kaduna metropolis.

The village, according to residents, was often terrorised by armed robbers, the development that made the vigilante group of the area to go to Kuyallo, a neighbouring village, on Saturday, October 13, to arrest four people suspected to be among the armed robbers who were terrorising the area.

That arrest, according to the residents, made the gang of the armed men to storm Dogon Dawa in an obvious attempt to rescue their fellows.

A survivor and son of the Makaman Birnin Gwari, Aliyu Ahmad, said the gunmen stormed the village at about 12:30 am of Sunday, October 14.

“I engaged them and you can see where they cut my hand with long knife. They attempted to shoot me, but their guns couldn’t trigger.

They decided to overpower me as they did to my father but when I discovered that I took to my heels.

“They killed my father by using heavy stone, as their guns couldn’t bring my father down. They overpowered him and used heavy stones to break his head into pieces and this led to the spilling out of his brain. My father doubles as the head of the village’s vigilante group.

The gunmen also killed my brother during the battle.

“We are suspecting that the police OC of Kuyallo might have accompanied the gunmen, because I heard his voice. Another reason that makes us to suspect him was that when our men went to arrest the four suspected armed robbers, the OC told them that they would see the consequences of their action,” Ahmad said.

The gunmen, according to Ahmad, had succeeded in rescuing two out of their four colleagues who were arrested by the Dogon Dawa vigilante.

Emir vows for justice

Emir of Birnin Gwari, Malam Zubairu Jibril Mai Gwari, had told a visiting delegation comprising Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa; General Officer

Commanding (GOC), 1 Mechanised Division, and the Director of State Security Service (SSS) that a police officer led the gang that carried out the Dogon Dawa massacre.

“Since I made my statement in public and before the governor and other security Chiefs, I know what I am saying. The police officer who my people and the armed robbers call OC led the gang to massacre my people. He has also attempted to stop the arrest of the four suspected armed robbers when the Dogon Dawa vigilante went to arrest them. After the Dogon Dawa vigilante had arrested the four suspects, the same OC followed them in a car and attempted to rescue the four suspects.

“In the same vein, when the gang of the armed men came to Dogon Dawa, the same OC directed the gang. He showed them the places to attack. Some of my people heard the members of the gang calling his name, OC, but he cautioned them to stop calling him with his popular name, OC.

“This is why I would personally ensure that the man is investigated and prosecuted for massacre, because what happened at Dogon Dawa was a massacre. The issue is not an issue of transferring the officer, it is an issue of taking the officer to court and prosecuted, which I would personally ensure,” Malam Jibril said.

The Kuyallo Police OC

The police officer in charge of Kuyallo outpost, ASP Musa Shero, who was alleged to have led the gang on the killing spree at Dogon Dawa, said he was at home throughout the duration of the attack at Dogon Dawa.

“On Saturday,   October 13, my officer at our post called around 12 noon to tell me that there was problem. I was not with my car, therefore I used bike. Very close to my office, I saw a car carrying four people. I know two out of the four people. One of them was Alhaji Musa who is a politician and police informant. There was also the chairman of Buji, who is also the chairman of Myetti Allah. I don’t know the remaining two people.

“I tried to stop them, telling them that I am a police officer, but they refused to stop. I took my station guard and followed them down to a village called Dinya and I overtook them telling them that I am the OC of Kuyallo, but they refused to stop. I used my car to block them, but they started shouting. I hid beside to call my DPO and my DPO said if they are in large number and ‘you know that your life is in danger, you let them go.’ I withdrew my men and moved back to Kuyallo.

I tried to intercept them, because it is my duty as the officer in charge of Kuyallo to know about the arrest, because those people who carried out the arrest came from Dogon Dawa, a journey of about 35 kilometres.

“Throughout that Saturday, I was at home. On Sunday, October 14, the patrol of Birnin Gwari called me and asked where I was. I told him I was at home. He told me that there was problem at Dogon Dawa. He called between 6 and 7 am. I called our mobile men who were on standby at Kuyallo. On approaching Dogon Dawa, the Sergeant in charge called to tell me that they cannot enter Dogon Dawa that the fire was too much. I told my DPO who said the mobile men should meet him at a junction and that was how they entered Dogon Dawa. Throughout that day, I was at home.

“I am an old policeman with 32 years in service. When I was a young police I didn’t do that, how can I do that kind of thing now when I am close to retirement? I don’t have any relationship with those people who were arrested. I only know two of them; one as a politician and the other one as chairman of Myetti Allah. During the hours of the attack at Dogon Dawa I was at my house and in fact have been communicating with my superior officers,” ASP Shero said.

Life returning to Dogon Dawa

On Thursday at Dogon Dawa, life is gradually returning to normalcy. Residents were seen going about their usual businesses, but most of them in mournful mood.

Soldiers and mobile police officers were stationed at strategic places, searching all vehicles moving in and out of the area.

However, what the residents of the area are eagerly waiting is how the beefing up of security in the area would prevent the reoccurrence of such ugly incident “and how fast the security outfits would fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act.

“We are not happy with the hasty decision of the Kaduna State Police Commissioner in exonerating the police OC of Kuyallo from complicity. The CP should have waited for investigation to reveal the innocence of the man. Dogon Dawa is under the jurisdiction of the Kuyallo OC, but the man has not visited the area during and after the attack to see things for himself; even when the governor was there. Is that not telling you that something is fishy?” Sha’aibu Idris Mikati, a politician and indigene of Dogon Dawa, said.

United front against bandits

The interim chairman of Birnin Gwarni local government area, Alhaji Dahiru Adamu Kuyallo, said the local government is into joint efforts with the Zamfara State government to fight armed bandits and the type of the recent attack that took place at Dogon Dawa, a settlement in his local government area.

Kuyallao made this known when our correspondent sighted him at the scene of the Dogon Dawa attack. “We are suspecting that the attackers are those who were chased from Zamfara, who moved to our local government area to unleash havoc on our people.

“This is coming at a time when we have set up a joint committee with the Zamfara State government to unravel those who are behind these recurrent attacks. We would however continue to work with the Zamfara State government to bring to an end the activities of armed bandits,” Alhaji Kuyallo said.

In the same vein, a Kaduna politician and one time gubernatorial aspirant who hails from Dogon Dawa, Sha’aibu Idris Mikati, said “at a point, Sokoto   and Zamfara States organized a raid where they enlisted the help of this gentleman called Ali Kwara who is good at fighting armed robbers. A combined attack by the Police, Army and the Ali Kwara’s vigilante killed some of the robbers. After the raid, a significant number of them crossed to a border town of Zamfara State, a very thick forest border. This issue happened about seven months ago, and of course, the villagers reported to the authority.

“There are police posts, police stations, area police offices in some of these locations. So, even if the villagers didn’t report, intelligence gathering should have picked up this, but nothing happened and gradually these bandits became lords in those communities.

“There is a thick forest between Kaduna border with Zamfara State, and in that forest there are over 1,000 armed bandits with sophisticated weapons, and the vigilante cannot dislodge them. So, there is need for the military and the police force to go and dislodge them. Unless and otherwise we dislodge them, peace will elude that part of the state and that part of Nigeria. There has to be forces from Zamfara and Kaduna to clean up the area.

“If you attack them from Zamfara, they will fizzle into Kaduna, and if you attack them from Kaduna, they will fizzle into Zamfara. So, unless it is done like this, you will not be able to dislodge them. This will be very simple to do, because the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Mechanised Division, Kaduna, has ten states under him, including Zamfara and Kaduna. There is a battalion in Gusau and the headquarters of 1 Division is in Kaduna, so it will be very easy to dislodge them,” Mikati said.