KADUNA, Nigeria — Armed bandits have killed six individuals, including Mallam Yakubu Muhammad Bugai, the Vice-Chairman of the Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus-Sunnah, and abducted more than 40 farmers in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The tragic events unfolded on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, culminating in the death of the Islamic cleric, who was shot at his farmland near the Rema area and later died from his wounds at Jibril Mai-Gwari General Hospital.
The chairman of Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union, BEPU, Ishaq Usman Kasai, has confirmed the incidents in an official statement issued on Saturday.
“Until his murder, Mal Yakubu Bugai was a strong pillar, pioneer member, and Vice-Chairman of the Birnin-Gwari Orphans Foundation,” lamented Kasai.
He described the ongoing situation as one of terror, with bandits continuing to “unleash chaos” in the region, impacting farming communities.
Kasai detailed a series of brutal attacks and abductions in various communities, including Sabon-Layi, Kurgi, Yelwa, and Shiwaka.
The violence has spread across a large area, with bandits attacking communities and farms, terrorizing the local population, and deliberately destroying crops.
“The Bandits told the farmers to stop wasting their time going to farm in the area because even if they do, they will not allow them to harvest and may end up being killed or abducted,” Kasai said, painting a grim picture of the crisis that is unfolding in the Birnin-Gwari area.
The impact of this violence is expected to have far-reaching consequences on local agriculture.
With 70 percent of the farmlands yet to be accessible due to the activities of the bandits, the region faces a serious threat to this year’s farming output.
“We are deeply concerned that farmers continued to be attacked whenever they go to their farms,” emphasized Kasai, expressing a sentiment echoed by many in the community who feel they have been left vulnerable.
BEPU has appealed to the Federal Government to establish military detachments in key areas, including Katakaki, Gagumi, Tashar-Keji, and Bugai, where bandit warlords are believed to be operating.
Kasai also called for the restoration of the Mobile Police Unit in the Damari Community, urging the state government to address the area’s medical needs, including the posting of more health workers and equipment to Jibril Mai-Gwari General Hospital.
Despite these requests, there is a prevailing frustration with the response to the ongoing crisis.
The state police command has not officially confirmed the incidents, and inquiries from our correspondent have gone unanswered.
The community and its leaders grapple with a harsh reality in the shadow of the violence.
A season of terror has taken root, with the livelihoods of farmers and their families held hostage by the violence.
As the bandits continue to operate with apparent impunity, the calls for action grow louder, demanding a response that can restore security, confidence, and the ability to farm without fear. Whether those calls will be answered remains an open and urgent question.
