Armed Banditry: Birnin-Gwari Stakeholders Petition Amnesty International

Stakeholders in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna state under the aegis of Birnin-Gwari Vanguards for Security and Good Governance have petitioned the Amnesty International(AI) over recent cases of armed banditry, kidnappings and cattle rustlings.

In a petition addressed to Amnesty International, a copy of which was made available to PRNigeria in Abuja, the stakeholders regretted that Kaduna state government has abandoned them to their fate hence the recent killings and kidnappings and called on the International human rights body to wade into the crisis before the community is decimated.

The community noted that several entreaties were made to the state government including the latest security alert sent through the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Mr Sam Aruwan on March 17th, 2018 and it reads:

“With the killings of renowned Grand Commander of armed bandits/Kidnappers, Buhari Tsoho, a. K. a Buharin Daji at NABANGO a territory under Birnin-Gwari local government just 16 kilometers to Dansadau in zamfara state, there is tension in our local government area. Sources reliably come to our communities in those areas, indicates that the renegades of Buharin Daji are coming massively on revenge mission.

“Already suspicious movement of people armed with sophisticated weapons are glaringly witnessed around Goron Dutse, Kuiga, Maganda, unguwar Nachibi communities. At the moment Kidnappers are having field day along Birnin-Gwari-Funtua road on a daily basis. Some villages terrorized by armed bandits such as Kirazo and Layin Mai Gwari had relocated to Birnin-Gwari town.

“The soldiers that massively conducted operation Karamin Goro in Birnin-Gwari had been withdrawn and the detachable soldier in Birnin-Gwari only stay inside the town.

“We are under intense fear of this armed group and need proactive government protection”

The petitioners noted that government’s inaction with regards to several warning signals and reliable information resulted into armed bandit attacks on Maganda District, killing nine vigilantes/volunteers on the 20th of March 2018.

It further added that armed bandits after successful prosecution of the Maganda attacks proceeded to Doka District in the night and killed eleven soldiers and wounded four others.

The petitioners therefore called on the government to ensure adequate security in the area.

“We the defenceless People of Birnin-Gwari are calling on the governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i as the chief security officer of the state, federal government and security agencies to ensure adequate deployment of security to stop the carnage and further destruction of lives, villages and towns.

“Equally, the siege on our roads has not only crippled our economy but has rendered many families lost their means of lively hood. We equally solicit the support of individuals, governments and international agencies to come to our rescue from the bondage of cattle rustler‟s turns into highly sophisticated criminals,” they concluded.

By PRNigeria