STAR FEAT Chikwale: Kadu sacked by band
The story of a bustling community in Kaduna State which has become a very desolate place
Gangs of armed marauders believed to be hiding in the thick Doka Forest are said to be looting and robbing farming communities around the forest. They have moved dozens of herds of cattle, stolen goods worth millions of Naira and raped several women and girls. Most of the raids were carried out at night, but many others took place during the day time.
Auwal Sani, lives in Chikwale with his family. He said Chikwale was a prosperous farming community founded about forty years ago and was located about 18KM in western Akilibu and close to Luku, Gidan Kyambo and River Yani in Kachia Local Government Area, Kaduna State. People there produced food and cash crops including maize, cowpea, yam, ginger and millet in commercial quantities.
Sani said Chikwale and neighboring communities have fertile soils that provide the essential nutrients needed by plants without adding fertilizers or organic manures. He said people continued to move and settle in the village to practice agriculture until 2014 when the residents began to live in perpetual danger from robbers and kidnappers. He said gangs of robbers disturbed the peace of the town and theft and robberies became frequent. “The robbers started barricading roads around 2014 during which they collected monies, motorcycles and other valuables from the victims. The attacked us one afternoon on our way from Akilibu and seized my new motorcycle,” he said.
He said the bandits later intensified their attacks and activities through house-to-house raids either in day time or at night. “They moved in large numbers and were heavily armed with assault rifles, knives and sticks. They invaded houses and turned everything upside down looking for money. One night, they cordoned-off the village around 10pm and moved from one home to the other, and left in the morning around 5am. They asked for money before searching the houses and beat-up or shot dead any family member that resisted their instruction.”
When the attacks continued almost day in day out, the villagers reported the matter to local and state authorities, but the modus operandi on how to deal with attackers became intricate, he said. “This is because anytime a report is made; officers will carry out patrols and possibly pick up suspects. But no sooner had the police left, than fresh attacks are launched. And most of the perceived reprisals by the thieves turned out to be bloody; in one incident, the ward head of the village was stabbed in the back.”
He said the villagers were fed up with the situation in 2015 and could no longer stand it because families and individuals started fleeing for safety. At one time, the town was deserted and was left with numerous, empty houses, he said.
Adamu said most of those who sought refuge in other villages wanted to return to Chikwale any day the security situation improved.
Godiya David (real name withheld), now lives in Akilibu after running away from Chikwale, where she lived with her husband and five children. She said the bandits had frequented the town mostly shooting and making people to scamper for safety. She said her family had to leave the town unprepared because the raids became unbearable after she was raped by two robbers. “A gang of thieves came to our house at night and carted away huge sums of money. They all carried guns but I don’t know their number. Two of them forcefully grabbed and raped me; I didn’t see their faces,” she said.
She said she hoped to return to the village if the security situation improved.
Asource said David was rushed to the hospital after the attack where she was treated for lacerations and abrasions, as well as post traumatic stress disorder.
Malam Ali was a religious leader in Chikwale but migrated to Akilibu with his wife and children following relentless attacks by thieves and kidnappers. He said the village was made up of diverse groups and people tolerated the views of their neighbors. “There were four mosques and three churches in the village, with each having its own pretty huge congregation. We live in peace as a community, but thieves hiding in the thick forest continuously harass us.”
Ali said he relocated to Akilibu because several people were shot dead by armed thieves who continuously unleashed