Renewed bandit attacks threaten peace deal, food security in Niger

Maryam Musa died on Thursday, November 28, 2019, and was buried minutes later amid wailing by her displaced colleagues. She had escaped from bandits’ bullets from Muyina, one of the settlements which have come under sustained attacks in Shiroro Local Government Area in Niger State, but was felled by snake venom. In the same community, […]

Maryam Musa died on Thursday, November 28, 2019, and was buried minutes later amid wailing by her displaced colleagues. She had escaped from bandits’ bullets from Muyina, one of the settlements which have come under sustained attacks in Shiroro Local Government Area in Niger State, but was felled by snake venom.

In the same community, two women were hit by bullets and are nursing their wounds, but a young man, Ibrahim, was not so fortunate.

Like Muyina, several communities in Shiroro have been raided at night in an onslaught which commenced on Friday through Saturday and Sunday.

The official statistics put the number of communities attacked at eight and those displaced at 2,540. The affected persons displaced from Gurmana, Magami, Zongoro, Masuku, Shekadna, Koki, Karibo and Sundna are camped at the Central Primary School, Kuta. But the displaced persons said the state’s statistics only covered communities within Gurmana District, and pointed that parts of Kwaki District such as Ajatayi, Ajayi Bataro, Sabon Gari, Boils Sintli, Dawaki, Shashare, Sukuba and Bani were also hit.

The Councillor representing Kwaki, Malam Jafaru Kwaki, told Daily Trust on Sunday that the assailants stormed communities on motorcycles, with each carrying three persons, to rustle cows, dispossess villagers of cash and food stuff.

Malam Kwaki said the attackers kidnapped one person in Sukuba and two others at Kuregbe, and that, “As we speak, they are threatening to return to Kuregbe following the inability of the villagers to raise the N10m for the two persons in their custody.”

Malam Kwaki said it was difficult for the villagers to alert appropriate authorities for urgent attention due to lack of access to telecommunication network, while most of the communities could only be accessed with motorcycle.

In Kwaki, where some of the displaced persons are huddled up, Asmau Maigari said many people were still unaccounted for.

Maigari said, “I have not seen my husband and one of my children after three days of fruitless search.”

However, Malam Kwaki said it was possible that the missing persons must have fled elsewhere, and added that they were likely to reunite with family members when the tension died down.

At the Kuta Central Primary School IDP camp, the Hakimi of Gurmana, Alhaji Aliyu Umar, told newsmen that many of his subjects, including nursing mothers and children, slept in the bush with several others still missing.

Alhaji Umar said, “What I can tell you is that in my area we are still sleeping in bushes as a result of the bandits’ attacks on our communities. So I am begging the Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, to come to our aid by securing our homes instead of allowing us to be living in the bushes.”

He, however, thanked the government for the food items and other relief materials sent to the people of the affected communities through the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).

Alhaji Umar added that, “But let him try more because the best assistance my people are expecting him to provide for them is protection so that we can return to our respective homes and continue with our daily lawful activities.

“If the government would not make a move for the deployment of security, let them give us weapons to secure our communities from rampaging bandits.”

Attacks have shut schools

The attacks which are coming at a time when public and private primary and secondary schools in the state are writing examinations will no doubt have effect on the timetables as the schools have been closed down.

Many of the villagers said the activities of the bandits always intensified at this time of the year when farmers were set for harvest. Our correspondent reports that Shiroro is noted for producing yam.

A farmer, Madaki Abdulmalik, noted that, “They target relations of wealthy farmers, kidnap them and demand for huge ransom, but they also do not spare those of us who are small time farmers.”

Our correspondent learnt that during the planting period, farmers pay some sorts of levies before they can access their farms.

The President of the Niger State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Malam Abdulkadir Baba Hassan, had raised alarm over the development earlier in the year.

In an address during the 17th edition of the Niger National Trade Fair in Minna, the NACCIMA president said the security situation threatened food security because the economy of the state, which is agriculturally-driven, was being gradually decimated.

Peace deal under threat

Many believe that the renewed offensive by the bandits may undermine the peace deal between the state government and the representatives of the bandits; which saw some of them laying down their arms.

Key among the terms of the agreement was that the state government would secure the release of members of the bandits who are found not culpable in the attacks in the state, but are in police custody.

The peace deal which began in Kotonkoro in Mariga Local Government Area was in line with the understanding reached during a meeting of the northern state governors to explore the dialogue option in ending banditry in the zone.

Daily Trust on Sunday learnt that the peace deal has begun to yield result as more bandits surrendered arms in a quite ceremony requested by them.

However, the relief that trailed the initiative was short-lived; with the spate of attacks across Shiroro and Rafi local government areas.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Inga, said the state government was addressing the security issue tactically.

Inga said, “Government cannot come out and say this is what we are doing or will do to address the security challenge. Such issues have to be handled secretly and tactically because we have had cases whereby government strategies were leaked out to the enemies. So the government is working hard to bring to an end this menace.”

Inga, therefore, urged the people to remain calm and assured them that the government was not unaware of their plight.

On why the government has not provided a temporary camp for the IDPs, Inga said, “This is not a flooding situation or fire disaster. It is a security issue, and like the people said, what they need is not houses, but security.”

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Akilu Kuta, said the ministry was partnering with the traditional institution to promote information sharing between the state government, security agencies and the locals.