A group of some Zamfara communities has written President Bola Tinubu over incessant bandit attacks within the Kaura Namoda and the neighbouring areas in the Zamfara North Senatorial District.
In the open letter by the group, Zamfara Circle Community Initiatives (Kaura Namoda Coordinating Unit), the residents of the communities urged the President and the State Governor, Dauda Lawal, “to do anything within their powers to stop these attacks, because we may not know who the next target would be”.
The group, in the letter dated October 19, 2023, said if no action is taken, the recurring bandit attacks “will not only result in the continuous loss of lives and property in the area, but could also have attendant economic and social consequences on the entire Zamfara North Senatorial District and the state in general”.
“These attacks which have already subsumed most local governments in the zone (i.e Shinkafi, some parts of Birnin Magaji, Zurmi and Kaura Namoda) and increasing in both frequency and tenacity, are mostly emanating from the western axis of Kaura Namoda, most notably, Dagwarwa, Walo, Disko, Dayau, Abaniyawa, Kabaje, Alko etc which are hideouts for renown bandits and have not been dismantled all this while. These bandits move freely in some of these places especially Abaniyawa, Kabaje, alko and Dayau,” the letter partly read.
“There are similar attacks in recent times to neighbouring communities especially in Sakajiki community. Sakajiki was attacked twice in one week which resulted in a peaceful demonstration by the people of Sakajiki, barricading Kaura Namoda/Gusau road to call the attention of authorities to their situation.
“In addition, for more than two years, people of Gurbin Bore, Kwashabawa in Zurmi LGA and the neighbouring villages are denied access to communication as all the communication infrastructures in those areas were destroyed by bandits.”
The group said the aggression by bandits has strangulated educational and economic activities within their communities, adding that commuters are at risk of being kidnapped while many residents are held hostage in kidnappers’ den.
“Due to the banditry, weekly business and other activities involving millions of Naira have essentially grounded to a halt thereby affecting livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in the zone and the state.
“In addition, commuters flying Kaura Namoda- Zurmi -Jibia road are at constant risk of being kidnapped or killed for almost three years with no hope of restoring normalcy on that axis,” the letter added.
