Rigasa: Has Nigeria’s largest ward been wrongly labelled?

Residents of the community have been tagged as miscreants and the community is known to be a no-go-area due to the rate of atrocities committed in the area, but is this the situation  today? Our correspondent who visited Rigasa reports that though the tempo of crime has drastically reduced with the coming of the civilian […]

Residents of the community have been tagged as miscreants and the community is known to be a no-go-area due to the rate of atrocities committed in the area, but is this the situation  today? Our correspondent who visited Rigasa reports that though the tempo of crime has drastically reduced with the coming of the civilian JTF, lack of basic social amenities and government presence, as a result of several years of neglect of the community which is within Kaduna metropolis, has been a major grudge in the community which has learnt to provide for itself.
However, worried residents of the community set up a committee to establish a  local vigilante group similar to the civilian JTF in Borno state, as part of the policing initiative meant to combat activities of violent gangs in the area. Rigasa stands out for its size, location and magnitude, and the large, populous and turbulent community occupies a long stretch, comprising Arewa, Mashi, Sabon Gari and Makeran Rigasa. In population and land mass, it is larger than most local government areas in Nigeria and roughly, over a million people live there. Yet, Rigasa is just a ward, the largest in the country, in Igabi local government area of the state.
Meanwhile, in revenue generation, Rigasa contributes more to the council, given its large market, several abattoirs and high number of vehicles. It was gathered that every month  the area makes about N10 million as internally generated revenue. The community is still challenged with lack of infrastructure, poor road networks and lack of social amenities. Succour has come to the area, as more and more roads are being constructed, which may reduce  the belief that Rigasa is a place neglected by the government. Even the bridge over the river which in the past overflowed its banks yearly, destroying homes and drowning minors and separating Rigasa away from civilisation, has also been constructed.
Reacting to the rate of crime in the area, a resident of Rigasa who identified himself as Mohammad, said since the introduction of the Civilian JTF in the area, the insecurity problems have  reduced drastically.
He emphasized that prior to the introduction of the JTF in the area, most of the residents were scared of coming out of their houses, particularly in the night, because of the hoodlums known as yan Sara-Suka.
“These hoodlums are children of ages 15-25 years,  and they attacked their victims with matchets and sticks which they use against themselves. Sometimes ,they do come out in broad day light to attack people, especially along streets like karshen kwalta, Shanono, Layin Hakimi, Lakwaja road and Yankifi.
“We are really disturbed because Rigasa is a very big community, which deserves  about 2-3 Divisional police stations. But presently, we have only one with inadequate personnel to secure the area.
“We have been appealing to the state government for additional police stations, but our appeals have fallen  on deaf ears. This is why our elders in the community decided to introduce the Civilian JTF to man the community. We are really happy because for the past three weeks of their existence, we  have been feeling secure.”
“Now, we can open our shops without much fear of being attacked by hoodlums. But still we need more assistance, because the  JTF boys cannot police the whole community due to its size. Government needs to encourage them by providing necessary equipment to keep them going. Some of the sara-suka gangs do engage in fights in some parts of the community. But we hope that with time they will be arrested and handed over to the police,” he said.
However, when contacted, Architect Muhammad Aminu Idris who is the Dangaladiman Zazzau and District Head of Rigasa, debunked the notion that the crime rate had increased in the area, and said Rigasa is a safe place to live.
“I don’t know what you mean by crime. But I know that now the situation is really better, and all the atrocities are being reduced to the barest minimum.So, I can say we are moving on the right course. The civilian JTF are all part of the reasons why Rigasa has recorded success, owing to the  continued awareness campaigns embarked upon by the youths and other stakeholders, including community leaders, in trying to educate the populace and the community of their  whole responsibility involving security issues. These are all factors which contributed to the reduction in the activities of these people.”
Asked whether the activities of the Sara-Suka gangs are still going on in the area, he said, “I am not aware of that, but with the coming of this civilian JTF all these  activities have been reduced to the barest minimum. This is because the civilian JTF are working round the clock to ensure the security of the area, and they are being helped by members of the community themselves.”

On the activities of a known gang leader named Jamilo, he said “that was a long time ago, in fact, he is a wanted person because the security agents are looking for him.”
As to whether Rigasa is now a safe place to live, he said, “I cannot say Rigasa is  a no go area.Have you not gone there yourself? Is it a no-go-area? It’s just that people are making mere propaganda. Rigasa is a safe place. It is only the normal things that are  happening in all parts of the country that are  happening there. Except for that, we are living peacefully here in Rigasa. It all boils down to the few youths who  are miscreants, and it is a normal thing that is also going on everywhere.But we in the community, are on top of the situation. They have started holding campaigns to cushion the effects, and I think we are on the right course.”