While our President appears to have turned a blind eye to the ongoing security threats, distress calls are echoing from various corners of Nigeria. In a dramatic plea for help, a coalition of communities in Zamfara has penned a heartfelt letter to President Bola Tinubu concerning relentless bandit attacks plaguing the Kaura Namoda region and its neighboring areas in Zamfara North Senatorial District.
The Zamfara Circle Community Initiatives, acting as the Kaura Namoda Coordinating Unit, implored both the President and State Governor, Dauda Lawal, to exert any available means to quell these assaults. Their apprehension is palpable, expressed through words like, “we may not know who the next target would be.”
Dated October 19, 2023, the group’s letter underlines the grim warning that failing to take action will not only perpetuate the loss of lives and property but could also trigger severe economic and social consequences across the whole Zamfara North Senatorial District and the state at large.
The attacks, which have already encroached upon numerous local governments in the region, including Shinkafi, portions of Birnin Magaji, Zurmi, and Kaura Namoda, are intensifying in both frequency and ferocity. The epicenter of these menacing activities is identified as the western axis of Kaura Namoda, particularly areas like Dagwarwa, Walo, Disko, Dayau, Abaniyawa, Kabaje, Alko, and more, which serve as hideouts for notorious bandits that have remained unchallenged.
The report also highlights similar atrocities in neighboring communities, such as Sakajiki, which suffered dual attacks within a single week. Frustration led the people of Sakajiki to stage a peaceful demonstration, barricading the Kaura Namoda/Gusau road, demanding intervention.
Moreover, the relentless bandit aggression has crippled educational and economic activities within these communities. Commuters live in constant fear of kidnapping, and many residents have fallen prey to kidnappers. Two years of isolation have also hit Gurbin Bore, Kwashabawa, and neighboring villages, as bandits have destroyed communication infrastructure in these areas.
These relentless attacks have virtually halted weekly business activities, impacting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands. The Kaura Namoda-Zurmi-Jibia road is marred by kidnapping threats, with no respite in sight for nearly three years.
This heart-wrenching appeal aims to draw the President’s attention, and the hope is that immediate assistance will be extended to these helpless citizens.
